Prepare for a healthy Christmas with NHS Hertfordshire

With Christmas just a few days away, now is a good time to think about what to do if you or a member of your family feels unwell during the festive period.

Stay healthy over Christmas

The best place to start is with a well stocked medicine cabinet - you can buy a wide range of basic medicines that will help treat minor illnesses including coughs, colds and flu, headache and upset stomachs from your local pharmacy.  Simpler remedies can be bought from a supermarket or local store too. 

Now is also the time to check if you need to order a repeat prescription to last over the holidays. Make sure you place any orders for repeat prescriptions with your GP in plenty of time to ensure you don’t run out.

Free flu jabs are still available to those in one of the "at risk" groups.  These include over 65s, people with long term health conditions and pregnant women. Some pharmacies can give flu jabs to patients who are usually not in these groups, but choose to be immunised for their own protection. There will be a fee for flu jabs from pharmacies.

Dr Louise Smith, consultant in public health said: “We all want to stay healthy over Christmas and the New Year and by taking a few simple steps we can help prevent the spread of viruses by following some simple hygiene advice:

• Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.

• Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.

• Washing your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people.

• Making sure your children follow this advice: Catch it, bin it, kill it.

“Remember that the best thing to do if you have cold or flu-like symptoms is to stay at home, rest, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and take regular painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.”

For 24-hour health advice visit www.nhs.uk  or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 – bear in mind that Christmas is their busiest time so it may take longer than usual to get through on the phone.

Pharmacies are open during the holiday period and the details of Christmas and New Year opening times are available on the NHS Hertfordshire website:  www.hertfordshire.nhs.uk

If your GP surgery is closed and you need to see a doctor urgently, you can use the out of hours service by calling 03000 33 33 33.

Visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk for more information on your local services and their opening times over the Christmas period.