Getting the care you need, quicker

Depending on your condition or health needs, some services may be quicker and more appropriate than others in getting you the help, treatment or advice you need.

But it can be difficult to know where to turn. Should you ring your GP or 111? Can your swollen ankle following a fall be treated quickest and most appropriately at the urgent treatment centre or the Emergency Department?

The following information should help you to navigate NHS services available to you so that, when you next need help, you know exactly where to turn to:

Self-care

Many common ailments and illnesses can be treated effectively at home with medicines available over the counter, including minor cuts and grazes, sore throats and coughs and colds.

It’s good practice to have a fully stocked medicines box at home - well out of the way of little hands, it should be said. Here’s what a well-stocked home medicines box should contain:

Pain relief

It’s good practice to have a fully stocked medicines box at home.

Paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin are highly effective at relieving most minor aches and pains, such as headaches, period pain and the common cold, by reducing aches, pain and high temperatures. Paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin also help reduce the inflammation caused by arthritis and sprains.

Bear in mind:

• aspirin must not be given to children under 16

• ibuprofen must be taken with caution if you have certain conditions, such as asthma – check with your pharmacist if in doubt

• pregnant women should not take ibuprofen

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are useful for dealing with allergies and insect bites. They’re also helpful if you have hay fever. Creams soothe insect stings and bites, and rashes and itching from stinging nettles. Tablets help control hay fever symptoms and calm minor allergic reactions to food. They can also help calm itchiness during chickenpox.

Bear in mind:

• some antihistamines may cause drowsiness. Ask a pharmacist about this as there are some antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness.

Oral rehydration salts

A high temperature, diarrhoea and being sick make you lose water and essential minerals, and can lead to dehydration. Oral rehydration salts, available at pharmacies, are an easy way to help restore your body’s natural balance of fluid and minerals, and help your recovery.

Bear in mind:

• they do not fight the cause of your illness, such as a virus or bacteria.

Anti-diarrhoea tablets

Diarrhoea is caused by a range of things, such as food poisoning or a stomach virus, and can happen without warning. It’s a good idea to keep an anti-diarrhoea medicine at home.

Anti-diarrhoea remedies can quickly control diarrhoea, but they do not deal with the underlying cause.

Bear in mind:

In many instances self-care is the best option, but if your symptoms persist or worsen you should always seek advice.

• do not give anti-diarrhoea medicines to children under 12 as they may have undesirable side effects. Speak to a GP or pharmacist for advice about a child with these symptoms.

Indigestion treatment

If you have stomach ache or heartburn, medicine called antacid will reduce stomach acidity and bring relief.

Sunscreen

Keep a sun lotion of at least factor 30 (or factor 50 for children). Even fairly brief exposure to the sun can cause sunburn and increase your risk of skin cancer. Ensure your sunscreen provides UVA protection.

Bear in mind:

• you can also protect yourself against the sun by wearing a hat and sunglasses, and by avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day between 11am and 3pm.

Your first aid kit

A well-prepared first aid kit can help treat minor cuts, sprains and bruises, and reduce the risk of cuts becoming infected. Here’s what yours should contain:

• bandages – these can support injured limbs, such as a sprained wrist, and also apply direct pressure to larger cuts before being treated in hospital

• plasters – a range of sizes, waterproof if possible

• thermometer – digital thermometers that you put in your mouth produce very accurate readings; an under-arm thermometer or an ear thermometer are good ways to read a young child’s temperature

• antiseptic – this can be used to clean cuts before they’re bandaged, and most can treat a range of conditions, including insect stings and pimples; alcohol-free antiseptic wipes are useful to clean cuts

• eyewash solution – this will help wash out grit or dirt in the eyes

• sterile dressings – larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection until treatment can be given by a healthcare professional

• medical tape – this is used to stick dressings on the skin and can also be used to tape an injured finger to an uninjured one, creating a makeshift splint

• tweezers – for taking out splinters; if splinters are left in, they can cause discomfort and become infected

In many instances self-care is the best option, but if your symptoms persist or worsen you should always seek advice from your GP or by calling 111, the NHS non-emergency number.

Nhs 111

If you need help fast and it’s not an emergency, the NHS 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist, or even a GP, and can arrange a face-to-face appointment if they think you need one. They can also assess if you need an ambulance and send one if necessary.

The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To get in touch, simply call 111 free from mobiles and landlines. The service is also available online at www.111.nhs.uk

It provides assessments and treatment if you need help with a health problem that is urgent, but not lifethreatening.

Pharmacy

Many people don’t realise that pharmacists train for at least five years to become experts in medicines and their use. Many pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can seek confidential expert advice from the pharmacist on a wide range of health conditions. If the pharmacists thinks that you need further help, including from your GP, they will advise you appropriately, so your local pharmacist really is an excellent first choice for minor health concerns. Pharmacists can help with a range of ailments including:

• fevers, aches and pains

• stomach upset

• headaches and earache

• sore throat

• coughs, colds and flu

• cystitis

• skin rashes

• teething

• red eye

What’s perhaps less well known is that all pharmacies provide the following services:

• dispensing of NHS prescriptions

• access to the repeat prescription service (with agreement from your GP)

• an emergency supply of medicine, subject to the decision of the pharmacist (you may need to pay for an emergency supply)

• non-prescription medicines like paracetamol

• disposal of unwanted or out-of-date medicines

Plus pharmacy technicians can help with things like:

• inhaler technique

• how to take a medicine safely

• helping you understand the correct dose of a new medicine and how often you need to take it

To find your nearest pharmacy and opening times, visit the NHS website.

GP Surgery

If you have tried the NHS 111 service but you have symptoms that aren’t improving or they are getting worse, such as:

If you struggle to make a GP appointment during working hours, you can get evening and weekend appointments with a GP, nurse or healthcare professional by visiting the ‘GP appointments and booking’ webpage of the NHS website.

To find your nearest GP surgery and opening times, visit the ‘search for a GP’ page of the NHS website.

Urgent Treatment Centre

The Nottingham NHS Urgent Treatment Centre is located at: London Road

Nottingham NG2 4LA. It provides assessments and treatment if you need help with a health problem that is urgent, but not life-threatening.

The Treatment Centre is a walk-in service and is open 365 days a year between 7am and 9pm. No appointment is needed. You can call 0115 883 8500 for directions or current waiting times. The centre provides face-to-face and healthcare advice but cannot offer advice over the telephone.

The centre offers assessment and treatment for health conditions such as:

• Minor burns or scalds

• Minor head injury with no loss of consciousness

• Skin infections or animal bites

• Suspected broken bones, sprains and strains (X-ray service available)

• Eye infections or minor eye injuries

The centre is not appropriate for:

• Non-urgent treatment that could be treated by your GP

• Routine services such as blood tests or wound dressing/suture removal

Emergency Department/999

Our hospital Emergency Department at the QMC is for genuine emergencies such as:

• loss of consciousness

• severe breathing difficulties

• severe bleeding that cannot be stopped

• loss of consciousness

• acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

• chest pain

• severe allergic reactions

• ear pain

• back pain

• stomach pain

You should make an appointment to see your GP.

• severe burns or scalds

• stroke

• major trauma such as a road traffic accident

In the event of an emergency call 999.