Health advice for the bank holiday

Spring Bank holiday is fast approaching next week (Monday 31 May 2021), and health professionals from NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are reminding residents to plan ahead to stay well.

Dr Jason Broch, GP and Clinical Chair for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“With GP practices, hospitals and pharmacies under increasing pressure due to Covid-19 and the vaccination programme, it is important that you plan ahead and know which service to use if you become unwell.

“Many minor issues like a cough, sore throat and rashes can be dealt with at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet, but if you need health advice, the NHS website has a wide range of advice for how to treat aches, pains, rashes and other minor illnesses and conditions. We’d also recommend that people download the NHS app – www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/about-the-nhs-app – which has trusted health advice and also provides a record of your Covid vaccination. If you don’t have access to the web, you can speak to a pharmacist. They can recommend a treatment to help or will tell you if you need to speak to a doctor.

“If you’re not sure where to go for help visit www.111.nhs.uk online, and follow the prompts on-screen, which will point you to the right medical service for your needs. You can also call 111 from your telephone when it’s urgent, but not a health emergency. This is also the number to call if you have a minor injury, such as a cut, sprain, burn or if you think you’ve broken a bone, as you’ll be able to get an appointment at an urgent treatment centre or minor injuries unit.

“If you take regular medication make sure you pick up any repeat prescriptions as some GP practices and pharmacies will be closed or have reduced opening hours due to the bank holiday. Forgetting to take medication can have serious health consequences for some patients.

“Meanwhile, with the easing of lockdown, it is important to still keep yourself and others safe by following the national restrictions as well as washing your hands regularly, wearing a face covering in enclosed areas and limiting indoor gathering to 6 people or 2 households.”

GP appointments will be available throughout the holiday period for those who need them, but anyone with an urgent health issue should contact NHS 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser.

If anyone has any of the following coronavirus symptoms, it is important to stay home and book a CovidD-19 test as soon as possible. Symptoms include:

  • A high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
  • A new continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  • A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

To find GP and pharmacy opening times over the bank holidays, please visit www.leedsccg.nhs.uk/health/bank-holiday

For further information on the latest national restrictions, please visit www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do.

 

This post is based on a press release issued by NHS Leeds