An ER doc gets pissed when PCPs tell patients to go to the ER. I agree, this isn’t an ideal situation, since many problems can be handled in the office.
“Just go to the ER” is the PCP’s way of practicing defensive medicine. When a patient calls outside of office hours, there is no way to examine the patient – short of doing a house call. Telling them to go to the ER is the equivalent of an ER doc admitting a soft chest pain for a rule out. Defense all around.