Are you prepared for colds and flu this winter?

People in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale are being asked for their help to ease pressure on the NHS this winter. GP appointments and visits to A&E go up at this time of year, and one of the main causes is cold and flu.

Around 15 million people in the UK are affected by colds and flu each year, with the numbers increasing in the winter months. Advice is being made available about what to do if you or someone in your family catches a cold or has the flu.

Dr Lynn Hampson, Lead Clinician for Urgent Care, said: “GP practices, A&E and ambulances experience a surge in the number of patients each winter. We know for example that one out of every four people who goes to A&E could have either self-treated or used another local service, such as their pharmacy for advice, for conditions such as colds and flu.

“We also know that colder winter weather brings an increase in the number of heart-attacks, strokes, and breathing problems. We need to make sure that GP practices, ambulance staff and A&E teams are free to treat people with these serious and life-threatening conditions.” 

NHS teams across the North West are backing the Choose Well campaign. Choose Well aims to give people information so that they know where to go to in the first instance, to get fast, expert advice when they need it, and how to help themselves if they have a common illness or ailment – and help ease the pressure on A&E and 999 services at the same time. It also reinforces the message that A&E and 999 services are for serious and life-threatening conditions such as heart-attacks, strokes, serious accidents and breathing conditions.

Dr Lynn Hampson, Lead Clinician for Urgent Care, added: “National Self Care Week is running from 14-20 November this year. We’d like to use this as a call to people to talk to their local high-street pharmacy, or go online to find advice so that they are prepared.

“Illnesses such as colds and flu are fairly self-limiting – you may feel unwell for a few days. Get plenty of rest, drinking plenty of fluids and taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. As colds and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics will not help get rid of them."