• NHS 111: NHS 111
online service can help if ou ha y ave an urgen ve urgent, but lifnon- fe-e-threatening medical condition and if you’re not sure what to do.
Y You can access the NHS ou 111 online service at 111.nhs.
. Y uk or via the NHS App You ou can also use the service by calling 111 from any mobile or landline telephone.
The NHS 111 online service will ask you a series of questions about your health condition to direct you to the right care.
Depending on your situation the NHS 111 online service will: direct you to a local service that can help you. NHS 111 can direct you to a nurse, an emergency dentist, a pharmacist, or a GP as well as send you an ambulance should they think your condition is serious or liffe thr e threatening or send you to A&E. The service is e 24 hours a da avvailabl ayy, 7 daays a week. ys
harma • P acicies: If you e f ar feeling un eeling unwell or under the weather, your local community pharmacies are e f her for y or you.
Pharmacy teams can assist patients and can
identify symptoms of minor illnesses, as well as prescribe treatments, signpost to GPs ce about w or offffer ad er advi wherhere to go f for further car or care. Since there is no appointment needed to access your local pharmacy, you shouldn’t wait f for y or your symptoms to get worse and seek advice as soon as possible. There is ty of expert ad plen dvivice.
GPs: ou ha If y ave a ve serious health concern, contact your GP surgery Their team includes a range of of healthcare pr fessiessionals such as nurses as well as GPs, who can help you get the treatment and care you need. This means that when you contact your surgery f for an appoin or appointment, a GP may y not be the best person ou ma to help you and y ay be y refferrerred to someone else.
onists ma Recepti y y ask you some questions about what you need help with and any ou ha symptoms y v ve. The infformatiormation will ensure you get the most suitable doctor, nurse or other health proffessiessional to help you.
uk to seek f Use nhs. for or health advice and basic tips on self-care to help you manage your health better
v e g “WWe g go abo o above an e and a beyond for our p t tien ge t lar c a and publi rggee” ”
Jignesh Patel, advice on healthy
is a community harmacist f p for over 30 or over 30 years. He is the clinical pharmacist lead and director of Rohpharm Limited, based in Plaistow, Newham and Ilfforord, Redbridge. He provides various NHS and private ser vices, from dispensing medications and
vaccinations, to identifying h hypertensiypertension and providing smoking cessation ser vices. Speaking to this newsweekly, Jignesh said, “We provide a variety of inter ventions and
surin
Sanaa Shah is a community pharmacist in Greater Manchester and works full-time as a hospital pharmacist. Working in various community pharmacies, Sanaa has supported ts with the saf patien fe use of their medi e medication, answering related queries including advice on ons and side eff drug interacti ffects, as well as ects, ce f advi for minor illnesses. or
Speaking to Gujarat Samachar, Sanaa told us how reassuring and helpful local e f pharmacists ar for the comm or community. She said, es will ha “Most community pharmaci v ve a private consultation room to allow patients to speak with their pharmacist in a confidence. Easy access to community pharmacies in the la heart of communities means they can p y a vital role in the support of patient well-being and signpost to appropriate services.
“Pharmacists can assist patients from all age groups when purchasing medication harmacists ma over the counter, p ay ask mor y more questions to determine suitability, and some y ha ces ma products and servi y v ve exclusion criteria that require them to be signposted wa to their GP. Al y ys check with your pharmacist.” eaders to sta t tip f Sanaa has a 3-poin for r or r y healthhyy. She said,
“Order medication on time to ensure you don’t run out of important medication.
“Speak to your pharmacist about minor illness such as coughs, colds, and sore throats.”
washing hands regularly.”
“Maintain good hygiene practice by hi h d l l ”
Sutton based S G Barai Pharmacy has been a family business since 1979. It is a cornerstone of the community, and the team is familiar with the locals who use their ser vices as well as the healthcare facilities in the vicinity
Reena Barai, who has been running the pharmacy since 2003 said, “When you are a community pharmacist, you become an expert in consulting with a patient, whether it is something minor or if they need to go . V and see a GP Variarious people come into the pharmacy, and we havve diagnosed simple issues like cough and e inf cold, ey fectiection, anything that seems
living and preven health including weight loss, exerc alcohol intake, smoking cessatio stress managemen and mental heal pregnancy, and cancer awwareness.
“Our pharmaci provide home deliveries to the
elderly, housebound and vulnerable patients. All patie e supported f ar for or minor illnesses or injuries, medicati and healthy livin through face-totelephone and video consultations.”
ntative cise, on, ent th, cancer acies und ents r or tion, ng, face, deo
more serious we advise on the most relevant NHS Ser
would ost r vice” out ces s, ut their y last ey y ey ithout ay y home y ther e, or ge havve ption m e is get HS f for or arly or it to a told
Speaking about tural diff cul ffererences between patients Reena spoke about how some Asian ea customers l v ve issues till the ver minute, until they fall ver y ill. “They perhaps think they will get better without of any pr fessiessional assistance, or ma havve tried some remedies, or they don’t want to bother the health ser vice there is a language barrier, and they ha a diffffererent percepti of how the system works, my advice help from the NHS a health worr y ea t wait f and don’ for o get worse” Reena to Gujarat
Samachar
harmacies r roovide home eliivveries to erly he eld lyy, , usebound nd ulneraable tients.
et help om the NHS eal or a h lth th l rry ear wo o ly y nd don’t ai waiit f t for it to et worse
Pharmaccies are th ty n safe neet you need
l inccredibly r y reas u ng g uni for the comm ity ty
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