Plan ahead for the holiday weekends

NHS Warrington is urging people on medication to plan ahead for the long Easter and Royal Wedding weekends.
With only three working days between April 21 and May 3 – the run of bank holidays begins with Good Friday on April 22 and ends on the Early May Bank Holiday, May 2), people are being reminded to make sure they have enough medication to get them through the extended break.
There are concerns that some vulnerable people who rely on regular medication, could find themselves in trouble if they do not plan ahead.
A spokesperson for NHS Warrington said: “We are asking all our patients to think ahead. Check where you are up to with your medication and if necessary contact your practice for a repeat prescription or for a check-up.”
The PCT is also repeating its plea for the appropriate use of emergency services during the holiday period. People should not call Warrington’s GP out of hour’s service or visit Warrington Hospital’s A&E department if they have only minor illnesses.
The message comes as part of the ongoing campaign by the Trust to make sure that emergency services are available for the most seriously ill patients. NHS Direct and local pharmacists can often deal with minor ailments faster than emergency care services – leaving them free to deal with serious and life-threatening conditions.
The spokesperson added: “The first thought for many people is to go to a busy accident and emergency department. However many of them could be treated faster and more appropriately by contacting NHS Direct, visiting a pharmacist or even treating themselves with basic self-care and first aid advice.”
A&E departments are put under intense pressure during bank holidays and the forthcoming Easter and Royal Wedding weekends are expected to be extremely busy.
Warrington’s emergency services were extremely stretched over the last Christmas and New Year Bank holidays, particularly the town’s GP Out of Hours service, which handled thousands of calls from people who did not need to see a doctor.
People can text “pharmacy” to 64746 to receive three free texts with the name, address and telephone number of the three nearest chemists. The service makes use of global positioning satellite or GPS – it doesn’t matter where the caller is.