Take extra precautions to keep warm and well

NHS Wiltshire is assisting staff getting to and from their place of work across the county so that health and medical care can be provided during the period of extreme weather.  The organisation has planned well for the current snow conditions and extra measures have been put in place to ensure that services are maintained. 

Cold weather claims lives every year, and in particular it can make heart and respiratory problems worse and threatens some people who are unable to afford to heat their homes adequately.  It's particularly important for older people, families with young children and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions to take care and follow the following tips to staying warm and well:

1. Keep your home warm - set your central heating to between 65 and 70 degrees fahrenheit (18-21 degrees centigrade). Heat the room you sit in during the day to 70 degrees, and your bedroom to 65 degrees. When it's very cold (as it is at present), set the heating to come on earlier so that you're not waiting for your home to warm up.
2. Vomiting and diarrhoea bugs caused by norovirus are common and very infectious. This can be a very unpleasant condition, but the best advice is to stay at home and drink plenty of fluids until the symptoms pass. Norovirus is highly infectious, with an incubation period of between one and three days. For that reason, you should wait 48 hours after symptoms have stopped before going back to work or school.
3. Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet, with supplies of ibuprofen, paracetamol and your favourite cold remedy at hand.
4. Remember to attend your GP appointment if you have made one, and just as importantly, remember to cancel any appointment which you might have made but which you no longer need.  GPs are extremely busy at this time of year and they may need to see someone who's need is greater.
5. If you have a regular hospital appointment which you may not be able to get to, please remember to ring the hospital to let them know you won't be able to attend.  They may be able to offer the appointment to someone else.

Where to go when you're ill

The ambulance service and acute hospital A&E departments are currently working at full stretch. In order to make sure the NHS can cope with genuine emergencies, people are urged to think of other routes to medical treatment rather than calling 999. The following points should be helpful when deciding who to contact.

• Pharmacies offer over-the-counter medicines and advice. As well as being open during regular retail hours, they operate an out-of-hours service on a rota basis;

• Call NHS Direct for advice on 0845 46 47 or go to www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. They can give a wide range of advice and information about many conditions;

• Use the minor injuries units at Chippenham and Trowbridge for cuts, burns and other injuries - but not for colds, flu or vomiting;

• Make an appointment with your own GP - an out-of-hours service is also available;

• If it is a genuine emergency, go to your local A&E department or call 999 for an ambulance.

1. It's not too late to have a seasonal flu jab. Everyone over 65, or with a wide variety of health conditions, is entitled to one free of charge. Immunity takes effect almost immediately, so even though a flu outbreak is currently well underway, you can still protect yourself by getting the jab - just call your GP to make an appointment.
2. If you do fall ill with flu, it's best to stay at home. Flu is caused by a virus, and cannot be treated with antibiotics - so a visit to your GP is not necessarily the best course of action.
3. The National Pandemic Flu Service is still operating.  The H1N1 as well as other influenza type illnesses remain in the community.  Check your symptoms by accessing the website (www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu) or by ringing the phoneline (0800 1 513 100 or 0800 1 513 200 (Textphone)).  If your symptoms indicate you have swine flu, you will be given a unique number which will give you access to antivirals if necessary. You should then ask a flu friend - a friend or relative who doesn't have swine flu - to go and pick up your antiviral. The flu friend must show their own ID as well as that of the patient. That ID includes:

Ø      a utility bill;

Ø      passport;

Ø      a credit or debit card;

Ø      driving licence; or

Ø      NHS card.

Anyone who suspects they have swine flu should not go to their GP or A&E.

09th January 2010