Get the right treatment this bank holiday

Healthcare options out of hours

People are urged to plan ahead to care for their health and their family’s wellbeing this bank holiday.

To help people choose the most suitable services to get advice and treatment as quickly as possible, the NHS is continuing to run a campaign called Choose Well.

NHS Hounslow and London Borough of Hounslow’s, Joint Director of Public Health Dr Mike Robinson said: “The Choose well campaign is designed to help people decide if you need medical attention. It explains what each NHS service does, and when it should be used, for this bank holiday and equally at other times.”

Mike added “We know a lot of people go to A&E with problems that aren’t life threatening – often it’s because people aren’t sure where the best place to go or that other services are closed. The Choose Well campaign aims to raise awareness of the range of services available, particularly when they need help urgently, so that people can judge the best place to get help for symptoms and illnesses. The local emergency department or A&E should be used by patients who have a serious illness or have had a life threatening accident.”

Using a colour coded thermometer as its logo, the Choose well campaign aims to reduce the burden on all in-demand NHS services by helping people to associate the severity of their symptoms with a particular NHS service. People who need healthcare this bank holiday weekend should instead consider one of the following options depending on their symptoms:

• NHS Direct or 0845 46 47 — if you’re not sure how serious your problem, open around the clock, and to find help local services.
• GP — many offer appointments in the evening and some on Saturday morning. you can request to see a GP out-of-hours by calling your surgery as normal and listening to the message on their answerphone message
• NHS walk-in centre your local one at The Heart of Hounslow — for treatment of minor illnesses or injuries, without an appointment it is open every day from 8am-8pm. They see on average over 2,000 people per month, even on weekends and on bank holidays
• many local pharmacies offer bank holiday services. Pharmacists are qualified experts in the use of medicines and can give advice on common symptoms, medicines and healthy living. See when your nearest pharmacy is open here http://www.hounslowpct.nhs.uk/hpct_OutofhoursPharmacies.html
• A&E or 999 — for critical or life-threatening situations

A guide services and Choose Well can be downloaded here http://www.hounslowpct.nhs.uk/documents/YourGuidetoLocalservices2010.pdf

General NHS information can be found at www.hounslowpct.nhs.uk or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NHShounslow , join the facebook group http://bit.ly/NHSHounslowFB.  

August 27, 2010