People in Blackburn with Darwen are being urged plan their medical care before the busy Christmas and New Year period when health services will have reduced opening times.
Blackburn with Darwen Care Trust Plus recommends people book routine doctors’ appointments in advance and arrange to collect medicines and repeat prescriptions early to ensure they have everything they need.
Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health, said: “People sometimes ignore symptoms in the run up to Christmas then suddenly find themselves needing urgent treatment on a bank holiday when GP practices are closed.
“This year Christmas and New Year fall over two weekends, followed by additional bank holidays, which means that between December 24 and January 2 there will only be three days when all health services are running normally.
“This is a time of increased pressure on the health service, so if people have a health concern, I would urge them not to wait but to make an appointment to see their GP before Christmas.”
From December 24 to 27 and December 31 to January 2, GP surgeries, pharmacies, dental practices and other health services will be operating closures and reduced opening times. Most GP practices will be closed on the weekends and bank holidays (except Bentham Road Health Centre and The Waterside Surgery, which open on Saturdays and will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). Details of other opening times can be found on www.bwd.nhs.uk.
If you are ill or injured, choosing the right service for your needs will help you get the treatment you need as quickly as possible.
Your local pharmacy can give advice and treatment for coughs, colds, sore throats and other minor illnesses.
Blackburn GP Dr Zaki Patel said: “People with minor illnesses such as a cold can self treat at home, so it’s a good idea to be prepared and stock up your medicine cabinet now.
“If you care for someone, please make sure they have everything they need and if you are going away, that you have made arrangements for someone else to look after them.
“I would also appeal to people not to ignore letters from their GP inviting them to have a free flu jab. If you haven’t had your flu vaccine yet, please call your GP today and make an appointment before Christmas.”
If you need medical treatment over the Christmas and New Year period and are not sure where to go, please dial 111. NHS 111 is the new non-emergency telephone service for people who need urgent treatment for an illness or injury but it is not an emergency.
They will assess your condition and find the best local health service to meet your need, whether that is a pharmacy, out of hours GP or emergency department. You should still dial 999 in an emergency.
For more information about 111, visit www.northwest111.nhs.uk.
