Mansfield and Ashfield patients urged to plan ahead for Bank Holiday prescriptions

GP surgeries will be closed during the Bank Holiday and patients are reminded to order any prescriptions in enough time and to know when their GP surgery is open so they can make the long weekend.

Dr Judy Jones, Clinical Lead of NHS Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group said: “If you or someone you care for requires medicines regularly, make sure you order and collect repeat prescriptions in good time to ensure you have enough medicine to last over the holiday period.

“If you become unwell when your practice is closed and need advice or medical treatment quickly, then you should call NHS 111, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By calling NHS 111 you will be assessed, given advice and directed straightaway to the local service that can best meet your needs.

Common ailments such as colds can often be effectively treated at home with readily available medicine such as antihistamines, pain relief, hayfever and cold remedies. So, it’s important to make sure your medicine cabinet at home is well stocked and contains sufficient over-the-counter medicines to treat minor ailments.

When your surgery is closed, an out-of-hours service is provided by Primary Care 24. Your call to your GP surgery will be redirected to the out-of-hours service who will assess your symptoms and provide advice, which may be to offer an appointment to attend Primary Care 24 and see a GP or nurse (located next to the Emergency Department on the King’s Mill Hospital site) or Ashfield Health Village in Ashfield.

If you are unable to access your GP for an injury or illness that won’t go away, you may attend Primary Care 24 Walk-in Service. No appointment is necessary, however waiting times may vary.