Get the right care in the right place

12th December 2019

Did you know that you can get a routine GP appointment outside normal working hours and at the weekend?

In Stockport, all of our GP practices have extended hours to make it easier for you to get an appointment if you need it. All you need to do is call your own GP practice and they’ll book it for you.

In addition to this there are always extra “extended hours” appointments available in the evenings Monday to Friday as well as at the weekend.

These appointments won’t necessarily be with a GP or nurse from your own practice, it may be that the appointment is at a nearby practice instead, but the care you will receive will be of the same high quality. Again all you need to do is ring your own practice and they will sort it for you.

However we all know that as winter approaches, bugs begin to circulate, putting pressure on the NHS. People head to A&E, or their GP, with minor problems they could easily treat at home.

Your first line of defence should be a well-stocked medicine cabinet but if you need a little bit of help nip to your local pharmacy.

You may not realise it but your local pharmacist is a highly trained member of the NHS team. They can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints without the need of waiting for an appointment.

But what if it seems a little more serious and you’re not sure where to turn to for help? The answer is easy – call NHS111.

This NHS phone service, free to landlines and mobiles, makes it easy for you to get high quality health advice when you need help fast but it’s not a life-threatening situation.

NHS111 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The call handlers can provide health advice, put you in touch with the right service, arrange to have you seen by a doctor or call you an ambulance.

The service is staffed by trained call handlers with nurses on site to offer support if needed. Callers’ symptoms are assessed and they are given the healthcare advice they need or are directed immediately to the right service.

Finally, A&E and 999 should only be used for emergencies such as heavy blood loss, chest pains or loss of consciousness. Think before you go to A&E or call 999 and leave these services free to deal with real emergencies.