Choose Well if you need to use services over New Year

The Health and Social Care Board together with the Northern Trust, local GPs, pharmacists and dentists have been working to ensure that local people have access to urgent care services over the Christmas and the New Year holiday period. The following health and care arrangements will be in place should you or a member of your family become ill or have an accident.

As part of the Choose Well campaign, we are encouraging everyone to “Think where and Choose well”. Choosing the service most appropriate to your symptoms will mean you may get better quicker. It will also help the health and social care services make the most of finite resources.

Self care is the best choice to treat most minor illnesses, ailments and injuries. A range of common illnesses such as aches and pains, coughs, colds, upset stomachs and sore throats can be treated with over the counter medicines and plenty of rest. Remember, whether treated or not, most of these will get better.

Pharmacy

Your local pharmacist can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints. The Health and Social Care Board has been working closely with local pharmacists to draw up holiday pharmacy rota arrangements. The pharmacy rota arrangements are:

Thursday 1st January 2015

Antrim

Randalstown Pharmacies
Main Street
Randalstown
4.00pm-5.00pm

Ballycastle

M A McMullan
39 Castle Street
12.00 noon-1.00pm

Carrickfergus

Medicare
16-18 High Street
12.30pm-1.30pm

Cookstown

Boots the Chemists
47 James Street
2.00pm-3.00pm

Larne

Larne Chemists
The Health Centre
12.00noon-1.00pm

Maghera

J Harkin
112 Upper Main Street
12.00noon-1.00pm

Magherafelt and Moneymore

GF O’Brien
5 Broad Street
Magherafelt
1.00pm-2.00pm

Please remember to order and collect any essential repeat prescription medications from your daytime GP surgery in advance of the holiday period. GP out of hours will only provide repeat prescriptions in exceptional circumstances.

Out of hours GP Service

The GP out of hours service, Dalriada Urgent Care, is available if you require urgent medical care which cannot wait until your surgery reopens. Remember to telephone the service first.

Dalriada Urgent Care will also be operating over the New Year period from Wednesday evening, 31st December 2014 until GP Practices open on Friday, 2nd January 2015. The telephone number for Dalriada Urgent Care is 028 2566 3500.

Out of hours Dental Services

Details of dental services will be displayed at dental surgeries or can be obtained by contacting your dentist. For out of hours urgent dental problems, patients should contact their dental surgery, visit www.hscboard.hscni.net/news/EmergencyDentalServices.html or ring the Relief of Dental Pain Clinic out of hours telephone number 028 2566 3510. The Relief of Dental Pain Clinic is for the treatment of dental emergencies only, including trauma, swelling, uncontrolled bleeding and severe pain.

Out of hours Emergency Social Work Service

The out of hours Emergency Social Work Service is available outside normal office hours and on weekends, Bank Holidays and Public Holidays for genuine emergencies that cannot wait until the next working day. You can contact the service on 028 9504 9999.

Minor Injuries Unit

A minor injuries unit can treat injuries that are not critical or life threatening, such as injuries to upper and lower limbs, broken bones, sprains, bruises and wounds, burns and scalds, bites, cuts and wounds and eye injuries.

The Unit is open from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Mid-Ulster Hospital, 59 Hospital Road, Magherafelt, BT45 5EX. Telephone: 028 7936 6720

Emergency Departments

Emergency Departments provide the highest level of emergency care for patients, especially those with sudden and acute illness or severe trauma. Normal Emergency Department services will be operating throughout the holiday period as usual. The service is for those in need of emergency treatment.

999 Ambulance Services

As always, the emergency ambulance service will be there if you need it. Always dial 999 when there is a risk to life or of serious injury. But, if your call is not an emergency, then please use the most appropriate service and help keep the 999 system clear for life threatening emergencies. Remember, you could risk a life if you tie up an emergency line for a non-emergency call. Your call could delay someone with a real emergency. Keep emergency lines free.

Mental health emergency

If you or someone is in a mental health crisis or emergency it’s important to get help quickly. If you have been or are being treated for a mental illness, you should have a care plan. Your care plan has names and numbers to call in an emergency.

If you don’t have a care plan, you should either:

• Mke an emergency appointment with your GP, or your GP out-of-hours service if the emergency is at night, weekend or a public holiday; or
• Go to the Emergency Department at a hospital

However, if you can’t get the person you are caring for to an Emergency Department or you can’t keep them safe, you can call 999.

If you or someone you know needs help, and you would like to speak to someone by telephone, you can also call Lifeline free, in confidence, 24/7 on 0808 808 8000.

For more information visit http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/health-and-well-being/mental-health.htm

Further information about health and social care services in your area and the Choose Well campaign can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/choosewell

Choose the right option and you may be feeling better quicker. Think where, choose well.

 

31st December 2014