Taking care of yourself - a useful guide

Transcription

1 Taking care of yourself - a useful guide

2 2 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself My health contacts GP practice Phone number Dentist Phone number Pharmacy Phone number Name Phone number Name Phone number

3 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 3 Staying well all year round This booklet has guidance on how to stay well and what to do if you fall ill. If you have hay fever You may experience sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes Symptoms may be eased by antihistamine tablets, available from your pharmacist Try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high Change clothes and shower after being outdoors to remove pollen Wear wrap-around sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes If you have asthma Ask your GP practice for an annual check up Make sure you have your medication with you Work out what your triggers are and avoid them if possible More children are admitted to hospital with asthma in the third week of September than any other time. In the heat: Everyone needs to drink more water (or other non-alcoholic drinks) when it is hot Everyone needs to wear sun-cream and a hat if out in the sun This is especially important for young children and older people who are at most risk of dehydration and sunburn.

4 4 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself In the cold: People who have breathing problems or heart problems are at increased risk of illness when the temperature plummets. If you are offered a free flu vaccine, have it Heat the room you are in aim for 21C (day) and 18C (night) Wear plenty of layers when leaving the house in cold weather Wrap a scarf around your face to warm the air before you breathe in Exercise indoors but avoid exerting yourself outside if it is cold and you have breathing or heart problems Contact your pharmacy or GP practice or dial NHS 111 if you can tell you are falling ill To check the weather, visit In general, to reduce your risk of illness, try to: Eat five helpings of fruit and vegetables a day Get to or stay at a healthy weight Take regular exercise (aim for 30 minutes, three to five days a week) Quit smoking or avoid starting Only drink alcohol in moderation Look after your mental wellbeing Take up offers of screening and vaccination Renew necessary repeat prescriptions in plenty of time don t run out

5 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 5 Mental wellbeing Staying healthy is not just about being physically well. Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to help us feel better, and protect us against anxiety and depression. Connect. Connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. Be active. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Do some gardening or take up dancing. Find an activity you enjoy, and make it a part of your life. Take notice. Be aware of the present moment, including your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. This mindfulness can change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Keep learning. Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence as well as being fun. Why not sign up for that cooking course, start music lessons, or figure out how to fix your bike? Give to others. Even the smallest act counts, whether it s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering in your community, can help you build new social networks too. Care. Look after your community and the world. Make small changes to your life that will reduce your energy use. Recycle more, leave the car at home, use low energy light bulbs; small steps to a greener life can make a difference. Mental Health Matters offers confidential, emotional support and guidance, 24 hours a day at (landlines) (mobiles). Or you can chat live via

6 6 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself Everyday illnesses Most everyday illnesses are best treated at home. People generally start to feel better after two days with a tummy bug, and after a week with a cough, cold, or sore throat. Plenty of fluids and rest will help. If you have young children, make sure you have the right medicines for their age group. If you have a cold, use tissues for coughs as well as sneezes. Then throw them away to get rid of germs and wash your hands. If you have a stomach bug or a cold, drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. If you live on your own, let a friend or neighbour know if you feel ill. Wash your hands often so as not to spread germs. Check your medicine cabinet has: Paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain relief and bringing down a temperature Indigestion medicine Rehydration medicine Thermometer to check your temperature Cold and flu remedies Make sure medicine is always kept out of the reach of children Remember: antibiotics are no use against colds, sore throats, tummy bugs or flu. Please don t ask your GP for them. If you are not getting better, you are feeling worse or you are worried, dial NHS 111.

7 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 7 Urinary tract infections Urinary tract infections are a common cause of illness in older people but are not always easy to spot. Look out for symptoms of: Confusion Fever Smelly urine Frequent need to wee Pain on weeing Reduced mobility For these symptoms, contact your GP or phone NHS 111. Winter vomiting disease Sickness and diarrhoea are symptoms of norovirus or winter vomiting disease. Medical advice is to stay at home and drink frequent small sips of fluid to avoid dehydration. Wash your hands often and clean surfaces to avoid infecting others in your household. Please do not visit hospitals or care homes if you are unwell. Waiting for 48 hours after you are better will avoid spreading illness to those least able to fight it off. Find advice and details of common illnesses and local health services at

8 8 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself Everyday injuries Most cuts, minor burns, splinters and grazes can generally be dealt with at home. Make sure your first aid kit has: Antiseptic wipes and cream Tweezers Insect bite or sting cream or spray Plasters Bandages and dressings Doing a first aid course will build your confidence, Visit the advice section of for links to courses in your area. Neighbourhood Care Teams Neighbourhood care teams provide care for people who may be housebound as a result of illness or the after-effects of injury, who may have problems such as dementia or heart failure, or who may be in the final months of their lives. The teams are based around towns in the area and are comprised of staff from Kent Community Health NHS Trust s community nursing teams, Kent County Council s Adult Social Care Team, mental health services for older people and the voluntary sector. They work closely with patients GPs to ensure patients receive the right services and support quickly to avoid an unnecessary admission to hospital. If you think you need support from your neighbourhood care team please speak to your GP.

9 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 9 When it is more serious Trained nurses at minor injuries units can assess and treat suspected broken arms, lower legs, cuts, sprains or minor burns. Minor injuries units cannot treat babies under 12 months old. People over 65 who have a head injury after a fall need to go to A&E for examination and further tests, which may include a scan. For advice on minor injuries, visit Minor injuries units Estuary View, Boorman Way, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3SE Open 8am to 8pm Monday to Sunday. X-ray 8am to 8pm Monday to Sunday. Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3NG Open 24 hours Monday to Sunday. X-ray 24 hours Monday to Sunday. Faversham Cottage Hospital, Stone Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8PS Open 8am to 8pm Monday to Sunday. No X-ray. Opening hours and X-ray times may change during 2014 so please phone to check before you go.

10 10 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself Pharmacies Pharmacists are a great source of professional, confidential, health advice and treatment for many common illnesses and complaints. Why not ask your pharmacist first, rather than going straight to your GP? Just give them a call or drop in there is no need to book an appointment. Pharmacies can: Give free advice on treating everyday illnesses and injuries and sell you the right treatments Advise whether you should see your GP Dispense prescription medicines and give advice on how to take them safely If pre-arranged with your practice, pick up your prescription and make it up for you Check you are taking your medication in the right way Give free advice on sexual health and contraception Give free advice on stopping smoking Visit for a full list of local pharmacies and their opening hours.

11 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 11 Late night and Sunday pharmacies Canterbury Asda, Sturry Road, CT1 1DG Boots, Riverside Retail Park, CT1 3TQ Boots, Whitefriars Shopping Centre, CT1 2TF Morrisons, Wincheap, CT1 3TQ Sainsbury s, Kingsmead Road, CT1 1BW Faversham Tesco, Crescent Road, ME13 7AS Newton Place, Newton Road, ME13 8FH Herne Bay Park Pharmacy, 102 Kings Road, CT6 5RE Whitstable Sainsbury s, Chestfield, CT5 3QS

12 12 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself When you need a doctor GPs (family doctors) provide most healthcare in the NHS, including: Diagnosis and treatment of medical problems for all ages Care of long-term illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma Mental health and emotional wellbeing support Referrals to hospital and other services, including in a mental health crisis Advice on health problems or concerns Prescriptions for medicines Free NHS Health Checks (by invitation) Free NHS vaccinations Travel vaccinations (for a fee) Contraception and sexual health advice Always go to your GP practice if you have had a cough lasting for three weeks or more GPs GP practices can assess your immediate health needs and can refer you into a specialist service, if necessary. Your practice also has your full medical notes, so can check your medical history. If you need to see a GP that day, tell the receptionist. Visit for a full list of local GP practices.

13 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 13 All of our practices in the Canterbury and Coastal area are signed up to the Professional Standards for Urgent Care. This means that: Patients requiring urgent attention should always be offered the most appropriate type of appointment with a doctor or nurse, either face-to-face, over the phone or at home Each practice is available between 8am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday (except for public holidays or training afternoons) Patients should never be asked to please call back for urgent matters Practices will do their best to make sure all children are seen on the day an urgent appointment is requested NHS 111 You can call 111 for advice if you need urgent medical help and are not sure what to do. NHS 111 when it is less urgent than a 999 emergency. Out-of-hours GPs Urgently need to see a GP when your practice is closed? The out-of-hours GP service provides advice, information and treatment for patients who cannot wait until their practice re-opens. It is open Monday to Friday from 6.30pm to 8am and for 24 hours at weekends and bank holidays. To use the service, dial 111. The trained advisors at NHS 111 will arrange for you to speak to or see a doctor if you need to. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No English? Call NHS 111 and tell them which language you need.

14 14 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself Other urgent services Dentist If you have a dental emergency bleeding, pain, knocked-out tooth - contact your dentist. If you don t have a dentist, call am to 4pm Monday to Friday. At evenings and weekends, call DentaLine on DentaLine offers emergency dental care in evenings and at weekends: Mental health Mental Health Matters offers confidential, emotional support and guidance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: (landlines), (mobiles). Or you can chat live via The Live It Well website ( has ideas that can help everyone improve their emotional wellbeing as well as information for those who use mental health services in Kent and Medway, their families, friends and mental health professionals.

15 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself 15 Social services Advice and support so vulnerable people are not left at risk. Call A&E A&E is for life-threatening accidents and emergencies such as suspected heart attack or stroke, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or severe burns. Please save A&E for when you really need it. Get involved If you live in Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham, Sandwich, Ash or surrounding rural areas you could get involved in plans to develop and improve your local health services. NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group would like to hear your views and ideas. To find out more please visit: Need this in a different language or format? [email protected] with your request. Version 1, May All information contained in this booklet was correct at the time of printing.

16 16 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG - Taking care of yourself Medicines Need help? Download the new, free Health Help Now web app for use on your mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Health Help Now: whatever the time, wherever you are, find the right service for you. No computer? No English? Call NHS 111 NHS 111 when it is less urgent than a 999 emergency. * Exclusive to Kent and Medway