GPS’ holiday sparks medication reminder
Surgeries shut for jubilee
Many GP practices across Forth Valley will be closed for the May public holiday on Monday, May 30 and The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee holiday on Friday, June 3.
Local people who receive regular prescriptions are asked to check to ensure they have enough medication or other prescription products and contact their GP in advance to ensure they have enough supplies for these long weekends.
If you need to see or speak to a GP during the public holidays and it can’t wait until practices reopen, call NHS 24 on 111 day or night. They can provide advice, arrange a consultation with a local healthcare professional or organise an appointment for you to be seen at a GP out-of-hours centre.
Most pharmacies across Forth Valley will be open on both holidays and details of opening times are available on the homepage of the NHS Forth Valley website. As part of a scheme called Pharmacy First, local pharmacists are also able to provide free treatment for a wide range of common health conditions without a GP prescription. These include urine infections, conjunctivitis, skin conditions (such as eczema, dermatitis and reactions to insect bites) skin infections and thrush.
The Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Stirling Health and Care Village will remain open on both public holidays. It can treat adults and children over the age of one for cuts and grazes, minor burns, sprains and strains. It can also help with minor eye and ear injuries and X-ray and treat broken bones including broken ankles and wrists.
This year, people are being asked to phone NHS 24 on 111 before attending the MIU so they can speak direct to a local healthcare professional which may avoid the need to travel to the unit. They can also be given an appointment to avoid the need to wait when they attend.
More health information and advice, including details of pharmacy opening times over the public holidays, can be found on the Spring Zone of NHS Forth Valley’s website www.nhsforthvalley.com/spring