A new Winter Zone has been created on the NHS Forth Valley website with information on local health services, including details of pharmacy opening times over the festive period as well as links to other useful sources of information and advice.
GP Practices will be open as normal on Friday 23rd December 2021 and Friday 30th December 2022 and will only be closed for two days at Christmas (Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th December 2021) and two days at New Year (Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd January 2023).
A number of local pharmacists across Forth Valley will be open for periods of time on the festive public holidays, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. As part of a national service called Pharmacy First, all local pharmacists are able to provide free treatment and advice for a range of common conditions without a GP prescription.
These include urine infections, conjunctivitis, skin conditions (such as acne, eczema, dermatitis, impetigo, cold sores, mouth ulcers, headlice, warts, verruca’s, hay fever, allergies and reactions to insect bites) skin infections (such as cellulitis and impetigo), headaches, earache, backache, constipation, indigestion, diarrhoea, threadworms and thrush.
Local pharmacists across Forth Valley are experts in medicines and can offer advice on a wide range of medicines and conditions. This is not only useful for local patients but also for local staff, your families and friends, many of whom also use local health services.
Your local pharmacist can also provide medication to treat urinary tract infections, shingles, skin infections and impetigo without the need to see a doctor first.
They offer a stop smoking service, especially useful if you or someone you know is keen to kick the habit this January. They offer free supplies of nicotine replacement products as well as support over 12 weeks. If you have run out of your regular medication they can also provide a supply if your GP Practice is closed.
Pharmacies also provide emergency contraception and bridging contraception – just ask your local pharmacist for more details.
The Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Stirling Health and Care Village will remain open every day over the festive period, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. 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.
People are 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 a priority appointment if they do need to be seen so that they don’t need to wait when they attend.
Local opticians across Forth Valley can provide advice and treatment for a wide range of common eye conditions such as blurred vision and eye infections or refer you directly to hospital if the problem is more serious.
More information on local health services, including details of pharmacy opening times over the festive period and links to other useful sources of information and advice, can be found on the Winter Zone.
