As the Bank Holiday weekend approaches, the Island’s Emergency Department and Out of Hours Services are urging Islanders to make sure they have a sufficient supply of their regular medication to see them through the 3 day weekend and if the weather is good put the sun cream on and cover up / wear a hat.
The public are also encouraged to familiarise themselves with the services available should they become unwell.
The Easter Bank Holiday weekend saw over 100 patients contact the Beacon Health Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital requesting a repeat prescription for their regular medication as they had run out over the Easter break. This could have been easily avoided if people had planned in advance and made sure they had enough medication to see them through the holiday weekend.
Dr Denman Johnson, GP at the Beacon health Centre, said: “We saw over 1,000 patients over the Easter Bank Holiday which meant a very busy clinic at St. Mary’s. I am sure people would much prefer to seek advice from their local pharmacy for minor conditions rather than sit and wait in the Beacon Centre. If it is something that can wait until they can get to see their own GP then it means their GP has access to their full medical history and is better informed to treat them.”
People are encouraged to take more care with their health where possible by either asking their local pharmacy staff for advice, looking for advice on line (www.nhs.uk) or self treating using some basic medicine cabinet essentials. GPs should be visited if you have concerns about a condition that will not go away, or is getting worse. It is important to visit your GP if you have a recurring condition that is affecting your ability to function on a day to day basis.
Common complaints which can be treated at home with advice from the pharmacist include:
• Skin conditions, such as mild acne and mild eczema
• Coughs and colds including nasal congestion and sore throat
• Minor cuts and bruises
• Constipation and haemorrhoids (piles)
• Hay fever and allergies
• Aches, pains, such as headaches, earaches and backaches
• Indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms
• Period pain and thrush
• Warts and verrucas, mouth ulcer and cold sores
• Athletes foot
• Nappy rash and teething
The 111 service, which is available 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year, should be called if medical help is needed fast, but it’s not a 999 emergency.
Robin Beal, Emergency Department Consultant, said; “Bank Holidays are always a busy time for the Emergency Department and unfortunately there are still many people who attend hospital with minor problems. By making the right choice of service patients will save themselves time and inconvenience and free up the Emergency Department to concentrate their efforts on those most in need.”
