THURSDAY, 12 DECEMBER, 2024

For immediate release: Accompanying video can be found at https://youtu.be/ncmnRDkLFMw

Get ready for the holidays and know how to get the Right Care in the Right Place

Tayside residents are being urged to prepare for the festive holidays and make sure they know what to do if they have a health issue over these times.

GPs will be closed for the Christmas and New Year public holidays – 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January – so it’s important to be aware of where to get the right care in the right place for different health issues.

Your local pharmacy, GP surgery or NHS Inform are your first port of call for general ailments which are not urgent.

NHS Inform and the NHS 24 app have lots of useful self-care advice, answers to common health questions and symptom checkers.

If you have a minor illness, such as a cough or cold, mouth ulcers or cold sores, skin rashes, an upset stomach or general aches and pains, your local community pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice and over the counter medicines. You can also speak to a pharmacist and get treatment, without an appointment or prescription, for other minor ailments such as constipation, indigestion, urine infections in females, minor skin infections and impetigo, and shingles.

There are clinical staff from a number of different professions in most GP surgeries, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and mental health professionals, and they can help you with issues such as vomiting, ear pain, back or abdominal pain, or concerns about mental wellbeing. If you become unwell when your GP practice is closed at weekends and on the public holidays, please wait until it reopens, contact a local community pharmacy or visit NHS Inform.

If your illness or injury cannot wait, but it’s not life threatening, you should call NHS 24 on 111 who can give you advice to manage yourself at home or refer you to the most appropriate service for your needs, including the out-of-hours GP service, a minor injury unit or emergency department.

If referred to the Emergency Department (ED) you may be contacted by a consultant from our Flow Navigation Centre who can give advice to prevent an unnecessary trip to hospital or give you an appointment which saves you from having to wait in the department.

If it’s a life-threatening emergency, you should call 999 or go directly to ED. Do not attend ED with a problem that you would normally see your GP with. This will allow ED to concentrate on emergencies. 

If you take regular medication, please check that you have enough to last over the festive holidays and, if you need more, make sure you order it in plenty of time and allow seven days between ordering and collecting your prescription from the pharmacy. To ensure you have what you need, we recommend you order by Tuesday 17 December. Please remember to check how much medication you have at home first and only order what you need, there is no need to stockpile medicines. 

If you need emergency hormonal contraception or access to urgent supplies of your regular medication, you can get this through your community pharmacy. Please do not contact the out-of-hours service for this as out-of-hours is for urgent medical problems only and providing repeat medications may delay treatment for others.

Make sure you have common medicines such as paracetamol (including liquid paracetamol for children), ibuprofen, cold and flu remedies, antihistamines and medicine for stomach bugs, as well as first aid kit supplies like plasters, bandages and antiseptic wipes/creams.  Always follow the instructions on the pack and only buy what you need to save medicines going out of date and being wasted. 

And please also check on vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours and make sure they have enough medicines and other supplies to get them through the holiday period. 

Visit NHS Tayside’s website www.keepwellinwinter.scot.nhs.uk for further information and advice on looking after you and your family’s health this winter.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718