Are you prepared for a healthy Christmas?

8th December 2017

The Christmas festivities will be underway before you know it but are you, and your family, ready for it?

Being prepared isn’t just about having the presents wrapped and turkey stuffed, it’s also about getting your repeat prescriptions requests in nice and early and having your medicine cabinet well stocked.

All GP practices will be closed on the bank holidays over Christmas and New Year which means people will struggle if they run out of their medication.

It’s particularly important if you have a long term health condition such as asthma, diabetes, lung or heart disease and can’t afford not to have your medicines at hand.

Stockport’s lead GP Dr Ranjit Gill said, “We have about sixty thousand people in Stockport with a long term health condition and, along with everyone else, we’d like them to have a good Christmas and New Year.

“We really do not want them running out of their medication, becoming poorly and having to spend part of the festive break ill or, worse still, in hospital.

“It can be hard in the busy run up to Christmas to find time to look after yourself but it’s really important that you think about your health and get your repeat prescriptions in on time.”

During the winter months, GP surgeries as well as A&E see a massive increase in the number of patients coming through their doors.

Some are in urgent need of immediate medical help but others have common winter bugs that will clear up by themselves within a few days.

Added Dr Gill “If you make sure you’ve got a reasonably well stocked medicine cabinet you can treat most minor illnesses, like sore throats, coughs and colds and upset stomachs, at home.

”It saves you a trip to your doctors surgery but also means that GPs can concentrate their efforts on patients who really need their expertise.”

Remember your local high-street pharmacist is a highly trained health professional and can help with minor illnesses and complaints such as coughs, colds, flu, stomach upsets, aches and sprains and the bonus is you don’t need to book an appointment with them.

For more information on how to stay well this winter please visit www.nhs.uk/staywell