HEALTH AND CARE: Help support NHS by using services sensibly

As you will have seen across the news nationally, health services across England are under huge pressure.
Pharmacists are trained to give advice and treatment for a wide range of minor ailmentsPharmacists are trained to give advice and treatment for a wide range of minor ailments
Pharmacists are trained to give advice and treatment for a wide range of minor ailments

It’s no different across Coastal West Sussex – it is extremely busy for GPs at the moment and over the past few weeks both Worthing General and St Richard’s hospital, Chichester has seen an increase in patients accessing A&E.

All NHS and social care staff across West Sussex are working exceptionally hard to make sure that people still receive the best possible care – and we are sorry if you or your family have been affected by the current pressure.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There are a number of things you can do to keep you and your family well this winter.

The cold weather doesn’t have to go hand in hand with illness.

Here are some simple things you can do to help yourself stay well this winter:

• Stocking up the medicine cabinet - with aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective in reliving most minor aches, pains and the common cold.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

• Remember pharmacists are trained to give advice and treatment for a wide range of minor ailments.

• Plan ahead and order you or your families repeat prescriptions in good time.

• Free flu jab – just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean winter is. If you are: over-65, pregnant, have children aged two, three or four years old, have children who are in school years 1, 2 or 3, a carer, or a front line health and social care worker, then you are eligible for a free flu jab.

• NHS 111 - will direct you to the best NHS services and are open 24/7, 7-days a week and are free to call.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It has been a very busy start to 2017. We hope that the pressures will ease over the coming weeks but please be assured that your local doctors, nurses, and health teams across Coastal are working extremely hard to make sure you can continue to receive the best possible care.

---

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: