health

advice from your Surgery

WITH CHRISTMAS out of the way, January has traditionally become the time when thoughts turn to warm sunshine and summer holidays.

The pandemic brought the travel industry to a screeching halt, with 2020 turning into a disastrous year for everyone associated with the holiday trade and the leisure sector in general. Fast forward to 2023, with inflation and energy prices soaring higher than the jets that whisk us away, and you might assume that things aren’t much better.

That’s true for many people, but there are enough would-be travellers to put the smile back on the faces of the companies that provide most holidays. When easyjet launched a recent sale, package holidays saw an increase in bookings of over 230% with the airline filling a plane a minute. This supported research they carried out in November 2022 that showed 64% of Brits are planning to prioritise a trip abroad in 2023.

At the end of January, travel agents reported another week of record sales, with some clients booking multiple holidays at the same time. Agents said there was no sign of bookings easing off, with one commenting that its best ever sales day on January 7 had been followed by two consecutive record weeks.

For most holidaymakers it will be a fairly straightforward affair, provided there are no travel or border complications. But for those going to more exotic destinations there may be a need to check whether precautions need to be taken to protect their health, and this shouldn’t be left until the last minute.

If you think you might require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you should collect a Travel Health Questionnaire from your GP surgery to complete and return as soon as possible. Include details of the countries you are visiting, including specific areas, as this is required to determine which vaccinations are required. The Practice will use this information to check your medical records to see if you do need an appointment.

It’s important not to overlook this, as you need to have travel vaccinations at least 6 weeks before you travel. If you are travelling in less than 6 weeks you may be directed to an independent travel clinic. Some vaccines are not stocked within the surgery and will need to be ordered, and some are ordered on a private prescription and incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

More information

Google travel vaccinations groby for plenty of advice online from Groby Surgery. It includes links to world wide information regarding health risks and vaccinations. If you are patient at another surgery just include the surgery name in place of Groby, as there may be slightly different requirements.

Norman Griffiths