Patients urged to plan ahead before Jubilee hols

NHS Lanarkshire is asking patients to plan ahead for the Queen’s Jubilee holiday weekend.

Surgeries will be closed either Monday, May 30, and Friday, June 3, or Thursday, June 2 and 3, depending on where the surgery is located.

For those practices where their patients would normally go to hospital in Glasgow, they will be taking the same public holidays as the Glasgow GPs which are Monday, May 30, and Friday, June 3.

For all other Lanarkshire GPs, they will be closed on June 2 and 3.

NHS Lanarkshire’s Out of Hours Service will see patients who have sought urgent medical care through NHS 24 on 111 and cannot wait until their GP surgery is open.

However, patients need to be aware that the Out of Hours Service is under considerable pressure due to a number of challenges and this is resulting in longer waits to be seen.

Dr Jane Burns, Executive Medical Director, NHS Lanarkshire, said:“We are asking everyone to plan ahead for when their GP surgery is closed, whether it be the Monday and Friday or the Thursday and Friday, by making sure they have adequate supplies of any repeat or regular medication to cover the long weekends.

“It is also useful to keep your medicine cabinet stocked with a few medicines, such as paracetamol, which can help you look after yourself at home. Your local community pharmacist will be pleased to offer advice about what you need.

“The Out Of Hours Service is only for people who cannot wait for their own GP surgery to open.

“By using it appropriately you can ensure that those patients who need the service most can access it quickly and easily.”

If you do need medical help over the holiday weekend and cannot wait until your GP practice is open you can access the Out of Hours Service by calling NHS 24 on 111.

If you think you need an emergency ambulance you should still call 999.