Health services are here to help during the winter months

A range of health services are available in Wakefield District over the winter months to ensure you get the most appropriate care for your needs.

If you need health advice quickly, but it’s not an emergency, you can speak to a pharmacist. They are the highly trained health professional on the high street and offer a range of services. To find one near you, visit the NHS website.  Don’t forget, you can keep your own medicine cabinet stocked with common remedies for coughs, colds and headaches as well as items such as sticking plasters for minor wounds and grazes.  Very minor illnesses and injuries can be treated in your home using over the counter medicine and having plenty of rest.

If you have a repeat prescription, using Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) means your prescription will be ready without having to contact your GP each time. Ask your GP or pharmacist about eRD today.

NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. To get help from NHS 111, you can go to 111.nhs.uk (for those aged 5 and over only) or call 111 (available for children under 5-years-old).  NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Parents and carers of young children can also find health advice on the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website.

Pontefract Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for minor illnesses and injuries. It’s led by a team of GPs, advanced nurse practitioners and emergency nurse practitioners. To book an appointment, please ring NHS 111.

King Street Walk in Centre in Wakefield is open seven days a week, between 10am and 10pm, to help diagnose and treat urgent, non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, for those over the age of six months – just walk in.

Make an appointment with your own GP when you have an illness or injury that will not go away.  They provide medical and health advice, examinations, immunisations, prescriptions as well as clinics.  If your GP practice is closed, support for urgent, same-day health requirements can be accessed through the GP Care Wakefield service, open Monday to Friday 5pm – 9:30pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 9am – 1pm and on Bank Holidays 9am – 3pm.  All you need to do is contact your own practice telephone number, at any time of day and you will get through to the right service. More information about the service is available on the Conexus website.

If you have a life-threatening illness or injury, you should call 999 or go to an Emergency Department.  Advice on when to do so can be found on the NHS website.

For mental health support, visit togetherwe-can.com/mental-health for details of local services. For urgent help in a mental health crisis, call the local 24 hour helpline on 0800 183 0558 (freephone).

The NHS is also encouraging people to get both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations as soon as they can and not delay, find out if you are eligible www.nhs.uk/seasonalvaccinations .

Dr Colin Speers, Executive System Healthcare Advisor and Chief Clinical Information Officer (Wakefield), NHS West Yorkshire ICB said: “By choosing the right service you can make sure you and those around you get the most appropriate care, in the best place, as quickly as possible”.

Find out more about the different services available on the Together We Can website.