Nobody wants to think about becoming ill over the Christmas and New Year period, but by making sure your home medicine chest contains a few simple remedies, having contact numbers for NHS services close to hand and being aware of when your local pharmacy is open, will make life a little easier should you feel unwell. 

The Island’s NHS has published a useful guide to staying healthy this Christmas, which gives information on pharmacy opening times, GP and Dental out of hours services, and simple things we can all do to look after ourselves.

Margaret Pratt, Interim Chief Executive of NHS Isle of Wight said: 

“If you are unfortunate enough to become unwell over the festive period it is important to know who to contact for advice and information. People often see a GP or the Emergency Department at St Mary’s as the only place to go for help, but for minor ailments, a visit to your local pharmacy, or a call to NHS Direct or the Island Healthline is much more appropriate.

“Christmas can be a busy time for our emergency services and it is vital that they are able to focus on caring for those people who really need their help.  Attending the Emergency Department or dialling 999 should be for life threatening or urgent problems only. “

The Good Health Guide is in this week’s edition of One Island magazine and also on the Primary Care Trust website at www.iow.nhs.uk.

Information contained within the guide includes:

Self Care – a well stocked medicine chest and first aid kit can deal with day-to-day illness and injury. Simple remedies include pain relief, decongestants, indigestion remedy, anti-diarrhoeal solution and basic first aid items.

Ask your Pharmacist – a visit to your local pharmacy can provide the expert advice and remedy needed. If you or your family have regular prescriptions, make sure you have an adequate supply to see you through the Christmas and New Year period by putting your request for repeat medicines in good time.

NHS Direct – If you are feeling unwell over the Christmas and New Year period and are not sure what to do, you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. NHS Direct provides 24 hour, confidential health advice and information.

Out of Hours – If you think you need the help of a doctor outside of normal surgery hours, telephone the Island Helpline on 0845 6031 007. All calls are handled locally by highly trained NHS staff. If you need to see a dentist for emergency treatment, call the Dental Helpline on 0845 050 8345.

Emergency – call 999 or visit the Emergency Department for life-threatening or urgent problems only, such as loss of consciousness, severe chest pain, serious accidents or serious loss of blood.