NURSES in Southampton are lining up to support the Daily Echo You Can Help Your NHS campaign.

Since we launched the campaign, which aims to save Hampshire health services £500,000, we have been inundated with calls of support from members of the medical profession.

The campaign is encouraging patients to save £50 by calling and cancelling their appointments if they are no longer needed, returning equipment they do not need any more and treating their NHS with respect.

With your help, we can make the county's hospitals nicer places to be, and increase the number of people treated there.

Sister Fiona McCarthy, a senior sister on the trauma and orthopaedics ward at South-ampton General Hospital, said: "I welcome this campaign. Everyone here - patients, staff and visitors - want the same thing, and that is to be treated well in decent surroundings.

"We all have a responsibility to make that happen."

Belinda Atkinson, deputy director of nursing and midwifery for Southampton Uni-versity Hospitals NHS Trust, agreed.

She said: "The trust has invested significant amounts on recruitment and retention of nurses, not just to maximise bed availability and treat more patients, but also to improve the overall patient experience.

"We all value constructive feedback, but have a zero tolerance policy to abuse of our staff.

"I hope the Daily Echo campaign will promote greater understanding."

Patricia Marquis, regional officer for the Royal College of Nursing, said there are a number of problems that the public can help solve.

She said: "The thing about missed appointments is that GP surgeries are the same. It's not just in hospitals, it's GP surgeries and the whole system really.

"Responsible use of accident and emergency: One of the biggest problems that nurses report is that people go to accident and emergency when they've not even seen their GP or called NHS Direct.

"They often call ambulances instead of taking a taxi and all that's costing money and time."