With Christmas almost here and winter illnesses on the rise, local pharmacist Husain Master is asking people to plan ahead and use NHS services wisely over the holidays.
Last winter, over 15% of NHS 111 callers were advised to manage their illness at home, so it’s important to have basic medicines to hand for common winter conditions.
During the festive period, people are busy making plans with friends and families. What we often forget to consider how prepared we are for minor health complaints that are so common at this time of year. Think of all those colds, stomach complaints and sore heads that are so common around the holidays.
Making sure you are prepared ahead of time means you don’t have to stop enjoying your time off with loved ones. A well-stocked medicine cupboard should have items like age-appropriate pain relief, cold and flu treatments, plasters, bandages and indigestion remedies. Make sure these are all in date. Having these to hand will make sure that you can treat those minor illnesses and injuries at home if you need to. The local NHS has a handy checklist of items it’s good to keep in your medicine cabinet over the winter.
Husain Master, local pharmacist
Husain added that you can buy most of what you might need from your local pharmacy or a supermarket. Just bear in mind that pharmacies, GP surgeries and other services may have different opening hours over the festive period, so it is best to check before travelling. For pharmacies, check the NHS Find a Pharmacy webpage.
With over 190 community pharmacies across mid and south Essex, patients can also access convenient health advice, support and treatment where needed for seven common minor illnesses under the Pharmacy First service. Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can provide trusted advice to help manage minor illnesses and are trained to signpost to the most appropriate NHS service when needed.
NHS Mid and South Essex advises people to check NHS 111 online if they need urgent help or call 111. The 111 service directs people to the most appropriate NHS service near them that can help based on their symptoms.
The 111 online symptom checker and phone line are open 24 hours a day. Emergency lines are also open 24 hours a day for serious and life-threatening emergencies.
In case of a mental health crisis, adults can call NHS 111 and select the option for mental health at any time. Young people under 18 can call 0800 995 1000.
For more information on bank holiday services and looking after personal healthcare over the weekend, visit the NHS Mid and South Essex website.