Self care is about looking after yourself in a healthy way. It can be anything from doing some exercise, managing common conditions (also sometimes called minor ailments) like headaches, coughs & colds and hay fever or living with a long-term health problem, such as asthma or diabetes.
You can manage most common conditions at home with support from community pharmacists, without the need to see your GP.
You will help ease the pressure on NHS services if you can manage the condition at home.
You can help free up some of your GP or nurse’s time, making it easier to get an appointment when you have a more serious or complex condition.
You will help to reduce the amount spent by your local NHS on medicines that are available over the counter and release resource to fund other health conditions and treatments.
Many common conditions can be treated at home with the support of your local pharmacy if needed. Over the counter products for self care are things like pain relief, hay fever medication and cough and cold remedies. These items can be bought from pharmacies and supermarkets without a prescription.
They are also often cheaper this way. You can get them without an appointment or seeing a doctor. Download the leaflet of visit www.nhs.uk for more advice on how to self care.
Keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet at home can help you treat many minor ailments. Colds, coughs, indigestion and many other minor complaints can all be treated with medicines that are available over the counter.
Your pharmacist can advise on what you might find useful to keep in your medicine cabinet. Always follow the instructions on the medicine label and consult your doctor if the illness continues or becomes more severe.
Self help guides, written by clinical psychologists with contributions from service users and healthcare staff from Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust are available to download in several formats (including A4, A5, large print and easy read).
Topics include:
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Following NHS guidance, GP surgeries in this area are asked to not routinely prescribe over-the-counter medication.
Looking after yourself when you’re feeling under the weather with a minor illness is easy if you already have a well-stocked medicine cabinet.
You can get advice and purchase medicines at little cost from community pharmacies rather than getting a prescription. Some medicines are also available from supermarkets and other shops.
Why not set up your own home medicine cabinet so that you have things on hand when you need them.
Remember to always keep to the dosage instructions and make sure all medicines are in date – for more information see www.bnssgccg.nhs.uk/pharmacyfirst
Your GP, Nurse or Pharmacist will generally not give you a prescription for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for a range of minor health conditions.
Instead, OTC medicines are available to buy in a pharmacy or supermarket.
The team of health professionals at your local pharmacy can offer help and clinical advice to manage minor health concerns. If your symptoms suggest it is more serious, they will ensure you get the care you need.
You can buy OTC medicines for any of these conditions:
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In some cases, you can still get prescriptions for medicines used to treat these conditions. You may still be prescribed a medicine for a condition on the list if:
GPs, Nurses or Pharmacists will also generally no longer prescribe probiotics and some vitamins and minerals. You can get these from eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet, or buy them at your pharmacy or supermarket.
Why is the NHS reducing these prescriptions?
The NHS currently spends around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, such as paracetamol.
By reducing the amount it spends on OTC medicines, the NHS can give priority to treatments for people with more serious conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and mental health problems.
There are plenty of resources available online that will help you with many minor illnesses. Click on the logos (below) to be taken to the main resources providing helpful guidance and useful information on how you can help yourself, or go to the Health Information section of this website for additional support and information. Our online resources page also lists many other useful web tools and apps.
The following ailments can be dealt with and the appropriate medicines prescribed, where necessary:
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This list is NOT exhaustive and you should consider seeing an ANP in the first instance as you will be given a 50% longer appointment time.
Please note the Minor Illness Clinic is for adults and children over 6 weeks.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners are listed on the online appointments system as Community Practitioners.
Please be aware of the new guidance regarding over-the-counter medicines and prescriptions for these items.
Clevedon Minor Injury Unit (MIU) offers treatment for adults and children over three years of age for a wide range of minor injuries.
Provided by North Somerset Community Partnership (NSCP), you can drop in with no appointment necessary. All patients are seen by an Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP).
Visit www.nscphealth.co.uk/services/minor-injuries-unit where you can find out more information about the Clevedon MIU, the opening hours, the location and how to contact them.
Do you have musculoskeletal pain and want to help yourself?
The getUBetter app is provided free of charge by BNSSG CCG for patients registered at Horizon Health Centre. It can be accessed on a Smartphone or on the Web and guides you day-by-day through a sequence of exercises and tips to help you get better from a range of new or recurrent musculoskeletal conditions:
Lower back pain, Back and leg pain, Neck Pain Shoulder Pain, Ankle Pain, Knee Pain and Soft Tissue Lower Limb.
Please note that before all face to face appointments you will be contacted by the surgery and asked a series of questions for the Covid screening to ensure all patients and staff are safe. If you are experiencing any Covid symptoms, please note that your face-to-face appointment may require rebooking to a later date once you are no longer experiencing symptoms.
When attending your appointment please bring a mask with you, if you are unable to attend with a mask, one will be provided for you before your appointment by the clinician you are seeing or by the person on the front desk.
Some links that you may find helpful may include…
There are a number of ways to access self-help online, with guidance on what to do if you have a minor illness or injury. The links below provide plenty of information on how you can help yourself. In addition, the Health Information section of our website can signpost you to other support services.
You may be surprised that you have not been given a prescription for an antibiotic when you have been told “you have an infection”. This is because many infections are caused by viruses. Antibiotics kill bacteria but have no effect on viruses. Viruses cause most infections of the nose, throat, ears and chest. Stomach upsets (diarrhoea and vomiting) as well as the flu are also viral infections. Our own immune system gets rid of these infections, antibiotics have no effect. There are also good reasons to not use antibiotics when they are not needed; antibiotics may cause side effects such as diarrhoea, rashes, feeling sick, etc. These may develop on top of any other symptoms from the virus infection. In the past, overuse of antibiotics when they have not been necessary has led to some bacteria becoming resistant to treatment. This means that they are not as effective when they are really needed. Antibiotics do not speed up recovery of most nose, throat, ear, chest, stomach and flu illnesses.
Viruses can go on for several days and make you feel unwell. We can’t give anything to get rid of the infection but you can use things to ease the symptoms such as paracetamol or aspirin to ease any aches, pains, headaches and reduce fever. Aspirin must not be given to children under 12. Paracetamol liquid such as Calpol and Disprol are best for children. Also having a lot to drink prevents mild dehydration. This may develop if there is a fever and can cause a headache and feeling of tiredness (common with virus infections) much worse. Do not wrap up but try to cool down if you have a fever. This is particularly important in young children. Take the clothes off young children if they have a fever and give paracetamol (Calpol). It is quite safe and a good idea for children to get some fresh air. Do not over wrap them when you take them out, just put on their normal outside clothing. You can also use the technique of ‘tepid sponging’- placing the child in a bath of luke warm (NOT COLD) water to help bring the temperature down. Your pharmacist is also always a good source of advice.
Most virus infections clear without complications. Occasionally a virus infection may develop into a more serious condition. It is best to see a doctor to review the situation if the illness appears to change, becomes worse or if you are worried about any new symptoms.
For some very serious conditions such as severe bleeding, chest pain suggesting a heart attack, or severe shortness of breath, it may be more sensible to dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. The crew on board the ambulance provide emergency care as well as rapid transport to hospital. This is often the quickest lifesaving treatment. In cases of injury, where a broken bone is suspected or stitches may be needed, going straight to the hospital often makes more sense than calling your family doctor, who may not have the facilities to deal with this kind of problem.
Many common illnesses (coughs, colds, sore throats, ear-ache and upset stomachs) may be eased by a simple home remedy or medicine such as a painkiller or other medicine easily obtained from your chemist, who will be happy to advise you. Remember the quick and easy way of getting medical advice is to call NHS 111 on 111.
