Five top tips to stay healthy and well this summer bank holiday

 

While many GP practices and pharmacies close over the bank holiday weekend (24 to 26 August), there are some top tips everyone can follow to stay healthy and well.

Dr Joanne Medhurst, Chief Medical Officer of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, said:

“Bank holidays are normally a busy time for health and care services, but people can play their part to help reduce pressures on services by planning ahead with their healthcare and using the most appropriate services for their needs.”

Five top tips to stay well this summer bank holiday:

1. Restocking your medicines

Whether it’s ordering your repeat prescriptions or doing a stocktake of your medicine cabinet, taking time to do this in advance of the bank holiday can save on last minute panics.

If you take regular medicines, you should check you have enough to last you through the bank holiday weekend. If you need to order more, you can do this on the NHS App, online, over the phone or face to face at your GP surgery. Pharmacy teams need around seven days to process repeat prescriptions for collection, so its best to do this today.

Your medicine cabinet at home should include painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen, antacids for indigestion, antihistamine tablets or cream for allergy relief, sore throat and cough lozenges, anti-diarrhoea tablets and rehydration salts and a first aid kit.

2. Staying cool in the heat

Most people will be hoping for a sunny and warm bank holiday weekend before kids go back to school, but it’s important to remember the hot weather can cause some people to become unwell through overheating, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

During very hot weather it’s important to:

  • Keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm
  • Plan to complete any physical activity (for example exercise or walking the dog) during times of the day when it is cooler, such as the morning or evening
  • Keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
  • Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses, seek shade and apply sunscreen when going outside
  • Drink plenty of fluids and limit your alcohol intake
  • Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else has them.

3. Think Pharmacy First

While some pharmacies may have reduced opening hours during the bank holiday weekend, there is always one open nearby. You can use the find your pharmacy tool on the NHS website to find one.

Pharmacies can offer expert advice and treatment for a range of common conditions and can also now provide some prescription medicine without you needing to see a GP. The new Pharmacy First service offers treatment for seven common conditions:

  • sinusitis
  • sore throat
  • acute earache
  • infected insect bite
  • impetigo
  • shingles
  • uncomplicated urinary tract infections. 

4. Unsure where to go? Use NHS111

NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right away. It’s available 24/7 online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 and can guide you to the right care for your needs including injury or illness, an existing medical condition, dental care, mental health, and prescriptions or medicines information.

5. Use HANDi app for advice when your child is unwell

The HANDi App gives parent and carers expert guidance on a range of childhood illnesses including diarrhoea and vomiting, high temperature, tummy pain, chestiness and common problems experienced by newborn babies. In the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area, there is also advice and guidance on head injuries.

The easy-to-use app takes parents through a series of questions about the symptoms their child is experiencing and then advises on the best course of action, whether that’s to treat at home, to make a GP appointment, call NHS 111 or call 999.

The HANDi App is available to download for Apple phones from the app store and for Android phones at Google Play.