Get winter ready - remember your repeat prescriptions and stock up on basic essentials!
With the festive season fast approaching, health experts across the North East and North Cumbria are urging everyone to plan ahead and make sure they’ve got the essentials at home.
People are being reminded to avoid any last-minute panics by ordering urgent repeat prescriptions well in advance and ensuring they have a well-stocked medicine cabinet for any minor illnesses, or injuries, over the Christmas holidays.
Professor Ewan Maule, director of medicines, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said:" It’s vital, especially for people with long-term conditions, to have enough medication to last right through the holidays.
"GP practices will be closed over Christmas, and it can take up to 72 hours for repeat prescriptions to be processed. Many pharmacies will also be shut from Wednesday 24 December, and won't reopen until Saturday 27 December, so ordering repeat prescriptions by Thursday 18 December is strongly advised - if you want to avoid any last-minute panic.
"A few simple steps now could save a lot of stress later."
As part of the ‘winter ready’ message, alongside ordering prescriptions, people are also being encouraged to stock-up their medicine cabinets with some basic essentials.
“While you’re grabbing those final Christmas bits, make sure you pick up some everyday over-the counter medicines too,” added Professor Maule.
“Paracetamol for adults and children, plasters, indigestion relief and anti-diarrhoeal tablets can all help you manage many minor illnesses or scrapes at home, and if you’re unsure what you need, your local pharmacist can always help.”
For urgent health care advice over the festive bank holidays, when GP practices are closed, people are being encouraged to contact NHS 111 online, or by phone, and are being reminded to keep accident and emergency departments free for life threatening injuries and illnesses only.
Local pharmacy opening times are available here: Find a pharmacy