NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), East Riding of Yorkshire CCG, Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are encouraging people in Hull and the East Riding to ‘Stay Well This Winter’.
On this website you will find everything you need to help keep yourself, and those around you, healthy over the winter months.
Flu vaccination
Unsure if you’re eligible? Click here
If you are eligible for the flu jab, it is vital that you have it as soon as possible as flu is highly infectious and the symptoms often come on very suddenly. The vaccine is the best protection against the virus, as flu can cause severe illness and even death amongst people in at-risk groups.
If you’re eligible for the free vaccination, get it now.
It’s free because you need it.
You are eligible to receive a free flu jab if you:
- are 65 years of age or over
- are pregnant
- have certain medical conditions
- are living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility
- receive a carer’s allowance, or you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill
Where to get medical treatment and advice
If you, or someone you know, become unwell this winter it is important to know where to go to get medical treatment and advice:
Self-care
Often over the counter remedies can successfully treat coughs, colds and stomach upsets, plus a range of other minor illnesses. Be prepared by keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet at home. Your local pharmacist can give you advice on what to have
NHS 111
For non-emergencies call 111 for quick medical advice. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is free to call from landlines and mobile phones.
Find out more here.
Pharmacy advice and treatment
Pharmacists offer free advice on a number of illnesses and advise which medicines to take. No appointment is needed.
Hull Minor aliments scheme
In Hull, people who do not pay for prescriptions can visit a number of pharmacies to receive free of charge medication without having to have seen their GP first. Further information about the scheme is available here.
GP Appointments
Make an appointment with your GP if you have an illness or injury which won’t go away, but which isn’t an emergency. Your GP or nurse will be able to treat and manage a number of symptoms and can make a referral to hospital if needed.
If you are not registered with a GP, please click here to find GP services close to you.
Hull Walk in centre
In Hull, you can visit Story Street Medical Practice, between 8am – 8pm without an appointment. The practice sees both registered and unregistered patients and is open 7 days a week and over bank holidays. For more information, click here.
Story Street Medical Practice, Wilberforce Health Centre, 6 – 10 Story Street, Hull, HU1 3SA
01482 335180
Out of hours service
The out of hours service is available for patients when doctors surgeries are closed from 6.30pm to 8.00am weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays. If you need medical treatment that’s not an immediate emergency and cannot wait until the next day then access the out of hours GP by calling 111.
Minor Injuries Units
There are a number of minor injuries units (MIU) across Hull and East Riding. Highly skilled nurse practitioners treat a number of minor injuries, for patients over 12 months old, including:
- ankle, hand, wrist, knee, and elbow injuries;
- animal and insect bites;
- burns and scalds;
- cuts including those needing stitching;
- eye complaints;
- minor head injuries.
Click here for Hull MIU info Click here for East Riding MIU info
A&E, Emergency Department and 999
For life threatening and emergency situations, such as but not exclusively: loss of consciousness, acute confused state, fits, chest pain, breathing difficulties and severe bleeding, call 999 or visit your closest A&E or Emergency Department (ED) immediately.
If you’re not sure whether it’s an emergency, call 111 for advice.
Keep warm, keep in touch, keep well
Being prepared for the cold weather and keeping warm, can help make you less vulnerable to illnesses that are more common in winter.
Heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F), if you can, and try to keep the room you spend most of your time in slightly warmer. The Citizens Advice Bureau can help you to make sure you’re receiving all the help you’re entitled to for heating your home. Call them on: 01482 224608
Did you know a third of elderly people never or only occasionally socialise with family or friends? This means that those most at risk can be slow in seeking help once unwell and increase their risk of becoming seriously ill. Keep in touch with elderly relatives, neighbours and friends throughout the winter season to support them in keeping well this winter by getting their flu jab, seeking medical advice as soon as they need it and keeping warm.
Keep well this winter by following this advice for common winter illnesses:
- Colds: drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest if you’ve got a cold. Speak to your local pharmacy about treatments to ease the symptoms, such as vapour rubs, and remember to get advice as soon as you start feeling unwell if you’re over 65 or have a long term health condition. Find out more about the common cold here.
- Sore throat: this is usually a symptom of the common cold and doesn’t usually require medical treatment. Over the counter painkillers, drinking fluids and getting plenty of rest can help with the symptoms. Find out more about treating a sore throat here.
- Asthma: cold weather can trigger symptoms of asthma, wrap up warm when you’re out and about and always carry your inhalers. Find out more about asthma in the cold weather here.
- Norovirus: otherwise known as the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, is highly contagious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea. The stomach bug only usually lasts for a few days, if you have a long term health condition or have the bug for longer than a few days telephone your GP or NHS 111 for advice. Try to stay at home if you have norovirus to help reduce the spread of the bug. Find out more here.
- Flu: If you’re aged over 65 or have a long term health condition make sure to have your flu vaccine; if you do not have the vaccine and you get flu, it can be life threatening. Symptoms of flu differ from that of a cold and include a high temperature, tiredness and weakness, a headache, aches and pains and a dry, chesty cough. If you are otherwise fit and healthy keep hydrated, warm and rest. Over the counter painkillers can help relieve aches and pains and lower your temperature. Seek medical advice if you are aged 65 or over, pregnant or have a long term health condition. Find out more here.
Remember: if you are aged over 65, pregnant or have a long term health condition then seek advice from a health professional as soon as you begin to feel unwell.
Don’t forget!
If at any point you’re worried about your common winter illness symptoms seek medical advice by calling NHS 111, free from UK landlines and mobiles, or speak to a local pharmacist about how you can treat your symptoms.
If you’re over 65, pregnant or have a long term health condition then seek advice from a health professional as soon as you begin to feel unwell.
Many GP surgeries and pharmacies will be closed over the Christmas and New Year bank holiday period, if you take regular medication make sure to collect your prescription in plenty of time before the services are closed.
For more information visit the NHS choices website here.