Get in the know about how to treat minor ailments this winter

The NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) is urging local people to ‘Get in the Know’ and learn about how to get support to treat minor ailments themselves this winter.

The latest part of the ‘Get in the Know’ campaign aims to support people to get the right care as quickly as possible, by raising awareness about which NHS services to use when you are feeling unwell or are injured. The new website: www.getintheknow.co.uk provides lots of useful information about how to access care depending on your needs. If you are generally in good health, minor ailments such as coughs, colds, and sore throats are all treatable yourself with advice from your local pharmacy, NHS 111 online or the NHS App.

Dr Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer for the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland Integrated Care Board, said: “As the weather becomes colder there is a significant increase in the number of colds and flus amongst other common ailments that are easily spread. Most of these ailments can be managed by people themselves and if they need help it’s important to know which NHS services are best placed to quickly support them with their needs. NHS 111 online, the NHS App and your local pharmacy are all available to help you treat minor ailments and these services will also enable you to get care more quickly than using your GP practice or A&E.

“In most cases minor illnesses do get better by themselves and antibiotics don’t work for viral conditions such as cold and flu so you don’t need an appointment with a GP but it’s important for people to know where to get medical advice should they need it. By using the appropriate service, we can help to keep GP and A&E services clearer for those that are severely unwell or in life-threatening emergencies.”

You can access trusted NHS information on hundreds of conditions on NHS 111 online by visiting: https://111.nhs.uk/, you can also download the NHS App on all android or iOS devices, you can find your local pharmacy by clicking here.