Making the right choice about where to go for advice or treatment is important. For patients it often means finding help much more locally than having to travel to a major hospital. For the NHS, it means no one part of the system, such as A&E, gets overloaded. For patients with a critical illness or life threatening injuries who really need to go to A&E, this could mean the difference between life and death.
If you’re feeling unwell, many common winter illnesses can be treated at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet, plenty of rest and regular fluids. Keeping some general medicines such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and cold and flu remedies will usually provide quick relief if you feel unwell. You can always ask your pharmacist for advice.
If you’re not sure where to seek advice, NHS 111 offer health advice and information round the clock, just dial 111. You can also check your symptoms, read about hundreds of conditions and treatments and find telephone numbers for NHS services at www.nhs.uk.