How To Access Your Health Services

This is one of the Winter Well-being messages released by Chshite East – this week, residents are urged to ensure they are accessing health services appropriately.

During the winter months, health services can become overwhelmed through excess demand.

To help limit the impact, it's important that residents are aware which service is right for them at a given time. The advice is to:

• Call NHS 111 (just dial 111) if you urgently need medical help or advice but it is not a life-threatening situation. You can also call NHS 111 if you're not sure which NHS service you need;
• Call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk;
• Visit a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit if you have a minor illness or injury (cuts, sprains or rashes) and it can't wait until your GP surgery is open;
• Ask your local pharmacist for advice – your pharmacist can give you advice for many common minor illnesses, such as diarrhoea, minor infections, headache, travel advice or sore throats; and
• Make an appointment with your GP if you are feeling unwell and it is not an emergency.
• If you start to feel unwell, even if it is just a cough or cold, don't wait until it gets more serious – get help from your pharmacist. The sooner you get advice the better.
• If you've been described antibiotics or other medication, don't forget to pick up your prescription before the Christmas holidays start as many GP surgeries and pharmacies will be closed during that time.
• Make sure you also speak to your pharmacist about medicines you should have in stock to help get you and your family through the winter season. Also check to see if older neighbours, relatives and friends have the necessary medication.

If you do need help over the holiday period, when your GP surgery or pharmacy is closed, call NHS 111 or visit www.nhs.uk, where you can be directed to a local service that is open.

For further winter-related advice, visit: www.facebook.com/cheshireeastcouncil
and www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/winter

Residents can help friends and neighbours, who do not have internet access, by printing off information from the website and giving it to them.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.