Healthcare options for bank holiday weekend.
Ahead of the second May bank holiday weekend, people living in Birmingham and Solihull are being reminded of their healthcare options should they or their families feel unwell over the long weekend.
Dr Richard Mendelsohn, a Birmingham GP and NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “There are lots of healthcare options available to people in Birmingham and Solihull over this second May bank holiday weekend.
“There are many common illnesses and injuries that can be treated at home, so make sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet. Good items to have include your usual pain relief, diarrhoea relief, rehydration sachets, antihistamines, and heartburn and indigestion remedies, as well as first aid essentials, such as plasters, dressings, eye wash and bandages.”
Birmingham and Solihull healthcare options:
COVID-19 Care Assistant: This free 24/7 online service, accessed through Ask A&E and powered by Babylon, offers information on COVID-19 and self-isolating, with a free online symptom checker and access to live chat (8am-8pm) with University Hospital of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust clinicians.
Pharmacy: Pharmacies will be treating Monday 25th May as a normal bank holiday. You can find out which Birmingham and Solihull pharmacies are open on the bank holiday Monday here. Please do not attend if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
GP practice: GP practices will be closed over the Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 23rd May to Monday 25th May). Patients will be able to access GP services if required by calling their practice as normal. They will then be transferred to GP services providing cover for their practice.
NHS 111: This is available 24/7 by calling 111 or visiting 111.
Walk-in, urgent care or urgent treatment centres: Locally, some of these options are still available – check on the NHS website to ensure that your local site is open. Do not attend if you have COVID-19 symptoms.