Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
The local NHS is reminding people to plan ahead for the bank holidays in May to save unnecessary trips to A&E.
With the first bank holiday being on Monday 6 May and the second being Monday 27 May, the public are being reminded to make sure they order their repeat prescriptions in advance, so they don’t run out. On public holidays, a huge number of calls are made to 111 from people who have run out of medication, and this could be avoided if they are ordered in advance.
GP practices and pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the bank holiday weekends, although some pharmacies will remain open to help treat minor illnesses. You can find a full list of pharmacy opening times on the local NHS website.
Pharmacies can help with a range of illnesses such as diarrhoea, a runny nose, a cough, or a headache. Pharmacies can also help with a range of illnesses people would normally see a GP for, like urinary tract infections (women aged 16 – 64), sinusitis (age 12+), impetigo (age 1+), shingles (age 18+), earache (children age 1 – 17) or infected Insect bites (age 1+). Find out more about how your pharmacy can help on the NHS website.
Dr Dave Briggs, Medical Director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “Bank holidays are a great time for enjoying time with families and friends and we know that many won’t plan on needing urgent NHS care. You can avoid needing to use NHS services on the bank holidays by making sure you are fully stocked with your medication. By re-stocking medicine cabinets, knowing when your GP practice and pharmacy is open and planning ahead for repeat prescriptions, people can ensure they make the most of the bank holiday weekends.
“We know that accidents do happen though and so it is important to know that the NHS is here if you need us over the bank holiday period. Our 111 call operators will be available 24/7 to answer your concerns and direct you to the most appropriate place for your need.”
If people feel unwell over the bank holiday weekend, they can check their symptoms and get access to advice using 111 online. NHS 111 is a free service which runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can also find out where to go for help and what symptoms to look out for if their baby or child is ill on the local NHS website.
111 online can tell you:
NHS Urgent Care Centre
Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. It deals with non-life threatening injuries and health problems. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient seen at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
Pharmacy
Pharmacies can offer over-the-counter advice and treat common illnesses such as colds, sore throats, stings and allergies. Many pharmacies are offering additional services for common conditions including urinary tract infections, middle ear infections in young children, skin infections including impetigo, infected eczema and infected insect bites. Find out more about pharmacy services.
Children’s health concerns
If you are concerned about a symptom your child has then we have developed web pages to provide you with consistent and high-quality advice from local health professionals about common childhood illnesses, including advice on what ‘red-flag’ signs to look out for, where to seek help if required and how long your child’s symptoms are likely to last. You can access these pages on our website.
GP practices
Talk to your GP, nurse or other healthcare professionals about symptoms that aren’t going away. They can offer telephone, online or face-to-face consultations. Contact 111 to see an out of hours GP.
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Mental Health crisis line
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have a mental health crisis line which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to people of all ages. Contact: 0808 196 3779
Emergency Departments
Only call 999 or attend A&E departments for serious accidents and for genuine emergencies.
