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THE HERALD • MID-AUGUST 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@markfieldherald.co.uk
Markfield Medical Centre and Patient Participation Group (PPG) news
At the Doctor’s OUR DISPLAY in the Surgery during PPG week in June included information on the 111 service which provides medical help outside normal GP hours. As promised in the last Herald article, here is more information on this topic which may be useful to you at any time of the year, whenever you have a need for medical help and the surgery is closed. Do you know why you should ring 111 and what help they provide when you need medical help out of normal GP hours? Firstly if it is an emergency due to a life threatening condition such as a heart attack, stroke or serious injury you should dial 999. You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a lifethreatening situation. It is free to call from any landline or mobile telephone. Call 111 if: • you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency • you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service • you need health information or reassurance about what to do next For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way. If a health professional has given you a specific phone number to call when you are concerned about your condition, continue to use that number. For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999. The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses and paramedics. They will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an outof-hours doctor, an Urgent care centre, a walk in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist. Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to. If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you. Calls to 111 are recorded. All calls and the records created are maintained securely, and will only
be shared with others directly involved with your care. We hope that the above information makes the process clear but if you have any queries then do ask at the Surgery. The staff at Markfield Medical Centre and the PPG wish all patients an enjoyable summer. Incredibly, however, it will soon be time for the winter immunization against influenza so keep a look out for the adverts giving times and dates for this important preventative vaccination.
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I hope when I inevitably choke to death on gummy bears people just say I was killed by bears and leave it at that.