Leeds residents are being urged to use the right health services if they fall ill over Christmas and only use A&E if the situation is very severe or life threatening.
There are many different ways that people can get help themselves get the right treatment and allow busy NHS services to help the people who need them most. The options in South Leeds are:
Self care – look after yourself at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet
Pharmacist (chemist) – for expert advice on common illnesses and the best medicines to treat them
GP (Doctor) – for illnesses that just won’t go away, arrange to see your doctor
Call 111 – if you need urgent healthcare, contact NHS 111 which will help you access the local service that can help you best
St George’s NHS Minor Injuries Unit (Middleton) – for treatment of minor illnesses or injuries without an appointment, open every day 8:30am-10pm
A&E or 999 – for very severe or life threatening conditions
Local people in Leeds can visit a specially designed website www.leeds.nhs.uk/isitforme that provides information and advice on what people should do if they, or a loved one, falls ill or gets injured. There are a range of options in Leeds which could help ensure people are seen and treated quicker than they might do if they attended an accident and emergency unit.
Winter is a key time for the NHS with many people picking up common illnesses, such as colds, sickness and vomiting bugs (often referred to as Norovirus). NHS Leeds South and East CCG and the other Leeds CCGs have put the campaign together as part of wider efforts to ensure local healthcare services are ready for any additional demand over winter.
Matt Storey, Leeds Urgent Care Programme Manager, NHS Leeds North CCG, said:
“We want local people to have a healthy Christmas and stay well through the winter but we are hoping that if people do become ill they will know where to get the right treatment, even if that’s self-care, so that emergency services are left for those people who really need them.
“If people use an alternative to A&E when they aren’t seriously ill, it could mean waiting less time to receive care and leave emergency services to help those with life-threatening and emergency conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes and serious injuries.”
Pharmacy opening times:
Boots, Crown Point Retail Park, LS10 1ET (0113) 244 8039
- 25 Dec: closed | 26 Dec: 8am-6pm | 1 Jan: 10am-6pm
Boots, White Rose Centre, LS11 8LL (0113) 277 6196
- 25 Dec: closed | 26 Dec: 8am-6pm | 1 Jan: 10am-6pm
Sainsbury’s, White Rose Centre, LS11 8LS (0113) 270 8304
- 25 Dec: closed | 26 Dec: 10am-5pm | 1 Jan: 10am-5pm
