PEOPLE across Warrington and Cheshire are being urged to make sure they know how to access urgent care in case they need it over the Easter weekend.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s deputy medical director, Dr Fiona Lemmens is urging people to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs.
She said: “We want to remind people that our hospitals can often become very busy over a long bank holiday weekend, and to make NHS 111 their first point of call for all non-emergency healthcare treatment and advice.
The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 111 or online at: www.111.nhs.uk – so its really quick and convenient to use.”
“You should still call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency situation when someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life may be at risk. But if you need any other medical help or advice, or you’re not sure where to go when your GP practice is closed, please use NHS 111 to get assessed and quickly directed to the right place for you.”
“NHS 111 can give lots of helpful advice over the phone, and they can also arrange for a call back from another health professional such as a nurse, doctor, or paramedic, and can book you an appointment at a local pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, or hospital A&E department if required too.”
For advice and treatment for minor health concerns, people are also reminded to visit a local NHS walk-in or urgent treatment centre, or to think about using their local pharmacy.
Pharmacists can assess patients and give lots of advice on the best medications for treating different common symptoms, and under the new ‘Pharmacy First’ service they can now also provide some prescription drugs for common conditions such as sore eyes, ear ache and UTIs in women – without the need for a GP appointment first.
Simply drop in to your local pharmacy and ask for advice – but do remember to call ahead to check their bank holiday opening hours as some may be closed or operating on reduced hours. You can search for your nearest pharmacy and find out their opening times at: www.nhs.uk/find-a-pharmacy
Parents and carers are reminded that if your child becomes unwell, you can visit the Alder Hey online symptom checker which includes lots of helpful advice on how to treat your child’s symptoms at home at: Symptom checker – Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust
For more information about when to visit urgent treatment centres, and when to call 999 or go to A&E, visit: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services
