Are you ready for the Easter break?

3rd April 2019

With the Easter break fast approaching, Stockport residents are being urged not to leave it too late to get their repeat prescriptions.

All GP practices will be closed on the bank holidays over Easter, which means people will struggle if they run out of their medication.

Stockport’s GP out-of-hours service, Mastercall, will be open 24 hours a day throughout Easter but they’re there for urgent medical problem and not for patients who’ve forgotten to order their medication in time.

In the past, nearly four out of every ten patients who called Mastercall did so for repeat prescriptions – for things like inhalers, insulin and blood pressure tablets – as patients didn’t have enough to cover the bank holidays.

Mastercall will only be able to prescribe enough of your medication to see you through the bank holidays and you’ll then have to see your own GP on the Tuesday.

Sorting out your repeat prescriptions in time is 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.

One of Stockport’s lead GPs Dr Viren Mehta said, “We’ve around sixty thousand people in Stockport with long term health conditions and we’d like them to stay healthy and enjoy their Easter break.

“The last thing we want is for them to run out of their medication, become poorly and have to spend part of the festive break ill or even in hospital.

“It can be hard in the busy run up to a festive break 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.”

Remember, to help ease the pressures on the NHS, a well-stocked medicine cabinet should be the first line of defence for your health. With that, you can treat most minor illnesses, like sore throats, coughs and colds and upset stomachs, at home.

If you need advice about any minor ailments your local high-street pharmacist will be able to help. Remember they are highly trained professionals and are part of the local NHS team. The bonus, with them, is you don’t need to book an appointment.

There are always some pharmacies in Stockport open on Bank Holidays. To check which ones are open and when, visit www.stockportccg.nhs.uk and find the pharmacies section under the Your Health – services page.