Think which service?
To help keep everyone on the right track, we have put together a guide for which local NHS service to choose from when you need help.
NHS 111 online is a fast and alternative to heading to A&E, pointing you to the correct service and advice all from the comfort of your own home. You can also dial NHS 111 from a phone.
When to use NHS 111 online
If you or someone you’re with has a medical problem or issue that isn’t life-threatening but requires urgent help, NHS 111 online will get you assessed and directed to the right place 24/7, 365 days a year. Without the wait times.
NHS 111 can also help you with dental and mental health problems.
Where will NHS 111 online direct you to?
NHS 111 online can give you advice and help for dealing with your symptoms, arrange for you to speak to a relevant healthcare professional, organise face-to-face appointments, and provide you with information on how to get a repeat prescription and where to get an emergency supply from.
They will also send you an ambulance if they think you need it.
If you’ve hurt yourself, had a fall, burnt yourself or are suffering from another non-life-threatening issue, the Minor Injury Unit is a fast and effective way of getting treated without the long wait in A&E.
When to use a Minor Injury Unit
You can go to a minor injury unit for the following treatments:
- Bites, human and animal
- Cuts and lacerations
- Foreign bodies in the eyes, nose and ears
- Fractures that require plaster only (Ages 5 years and above)
- Minor burns and scalds
- Minor head injuries (with no loss of consciousness)
- Soft tissue injuries, for example sprains and bruises
- Wound infections
What is a Minor Injury Unit?
Your local Minor Injury Units (MIUs) are staffed by experienced nurses that will be on hand to assess you and treat you as quickly as possible.
They are not open 24 hours, but we do have four across the local area located in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry and Whitchurch. You can find out more about them here.
Do I need a referral?
This is a self-referral walk-in service for people of any age.
However, your GP or other healthcare professional may refer you to an MIU. Likewise - if your condition cannot be dealt with at an MIU, they will refer you to your GP, the nearest A&E or another appropriate service.
When we’re sick, we all want to feel better as quickly as possible and speak to someone who can help. With longer opening hours than GPs and highly qualified staff, your local pharmacy can give you the answers and medicine you need to start feeling better.
Did you know that
Your local pharmacist is on hand to help with a range of longer-term conditions and minor concerns. If required, they can also help you decide which service to use or whether you need to see a local GP or visit A&E.
What can they help with?
As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer help with and provide over-the-counter medicines for things such as
- Aches and pains
- Sore throat
- Coughs
- Colds
- Flu
- Earache
- Cystitis
- Skin rashes
- Teething
- Red eye
- Sexual health
- Health and wellbeing advice
What services do they offer?
Without the need for an appointment, they can assist with things like
- Dispensing NHS prescriptions
- Providing you with an emergency supply of medicine (subject to their discretion)
- Inhaler techniques
- Understanding the correct dose of new medications and how often you need to take
- Flu vaccinations
- Emergency contraception and sexual health screenings and treatment
- General health screenings for blood pressure and cholesterol
- Stop smoking advice
Benefits of using the pharmacy
Not only does it help free up local GP appointments for those who need them most, you also get the added benefit of:
- No appointment necessary
- A consultation room for privacy
- Instant advice on where to go and how long to expect to experience symptoms for
The dark nights and cold mornings make it easy to curl up on the sofa in front of the TV and forget about looking after ourselves. But by taking small steps during the colder months, you can help keep yourself and your loved ones well this winter.
Stock up and be prepared
As the seasons change, you should check your medicine cupboard is appropriately stocked and everything is in date so you can treat minor health problems at home before you become seriously unwell.
What to have in your medicine cupboard
You can treat many common illnesses at home over the winter period with the following medicines:
- Lateral flow tests
- Pain relief such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen for aches, pains and high temperatures
- Cough medicines
- Rehydration sachets after a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Anti-diarrhoea tablets
- Indigestion relief remedies
- Antihistamines
What to have in your First Aid kit
- Bandages, plasters and sterile bandages
- Plasters
- A thermometer
- Antiseptic wash or wipes
- Eyewash solution
- Medical tape
- Tweezers
Tips for staying well
How we eat, drink and keep ourselves moving is even more important during the colder months.
Setting yourself some easy daily goals, routines and structure will help to keep you well this winter and ensure you have the energy to do the things you enjoy.
- Stay hydrated with liquids and hot drinks
- Keep in touch with family, friends, and neighbours – even if it’s a quick hello over the fence!
- Try to move throughout the day and get some fresh air – you can even do some simple strength and balance exercises in your home and break up periods of inactivity with some household tasks
- Eat a balanced diet with tasty but simple foods – fresh, tinned, frozen, it’s all the same!
Keeping warm is also important. Try to keep your home heated to at least 18c and don’t forget to layer up and use a blanket or hot water bottle if necessary.
As flu and COVID-19 cases are likely to increase over the winter months, getting extra protection will help you and others around you from becoming seriously unwell.
Free flu vaccines are available to:
- pregnant women
- anyone aged 50 and over
- people with a weakened immune system or long-term health condition
- are a frontline health care worker or social care staff
They can be booked via your GP or nearby pharmacy. However, anyone can book a flu jab at their closest pharmacy retailer also.
You will be eligible for your COVID-19 boosters if:
- you’re aged 50 or over
- are pregnant
- have a weakened immune system or live/care for someone that does
- have a long-term health condition or live/care for someone who does
First, 2nd and 3rd booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are also available to anyone who hasn’t had them.
As pressures continue to mount on our local health and care services, knowing which service to use and when will make sure everyone in our local community gets the right help at the right time.
If more of us think about which service to use first, just like our residents did in their stories below, we’ll help free up emergency care for those who need it the most.
I’ve played rugby most of my life, so I’ve suffered from a few bumps and bruises along the way.
I used to spend so much time in A&E until I was told about how the Minor Injuries Units (MIU) in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin can see me much quicker.
During a recent home game, just before half-time, I got caught up in a nasty tackle and landed on my wrist. A friend drove me to the MIU in Bridgnorth and they confirmed it was a sprained wrist, so they bandaged it up and I was on my way home basically before the game had even finished.
The great thing about an MIU is that it’s a walk-in service with no age limit. Plus, they can also refer you to A&E if necessary or to another, more suitable, service.
You also don’t have to be a resident of the area they’re in – perfect for my away games!
Just make sure you check their opening hours and only use it for the following:
- Bites, human and animal
- Cuts and lacerations
- Foreign bodies in the eyes, nose and ears
- X-Ray & Fractures that require plaster only (Ages 5 years and above)
- Minor burns and scalds
- Minor head injuries (with no loss of consciousness)
- Soft tissue injuries, for example sprains and bruises
- Wound infections
The four MIUs across the local area are located in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry and Whitchurch. You can find out more about them here.
Recently, I had an eye infection that wouldn’t go away with any of the at-home remedies I was trying.
I decided to ring my GP but was told it’d be another week for an appointment so I should try a nearby pharmacy instead.
The pharmacist was great. She came out to speak to me, asking me about my symptoms and taking a quick look before recommending treatment. Within an hour of making the initial phone call to my GP, I was back home with some cream and eye drops!
Now I know a pharmacist can provide treatment and such good medical advice, I’ll make sure to use them more often before I make an appointment with my GP.
As qualified healthcare professionals, if you’ve got any of the following, head to your pharmacist for:
- Aches and pains
- Sore throat and coughs
- Colds and flu
- Earache
- Cystitis
- Skin rashes and red eye
- Teething
I’ve always known about ringing 111 if you need urgent non-life-threatening medical help or aren’t sure of which service you need. Recently I discovered that NHS 111 online is a fast alternative to heading to A&E, pointing you to the correct service and advice all from the comfort of your own home. It works in the same way as ringing 111, but without having to wait for a telephone operator to answer. It can also be easily accessed from the NHS App.
A few weeks back, I had a persistent stomach bug and temperature that left me dehydrated, so I thought about taking myself to A&E.
Instead, I put my symptoms into NHS 111 online and immediately, it was able to direct me to the right service – which was a next-day GP appointment.
If you need urgent medical attention for something that isn’t life-threatening, visit 111.nhs.uk for the right help for your symptoms. The service is best equipped to direct people to the most appropriate local treatment option such as GPs, pharmacy consultations, a call-back from a nurse, or urgent walk-in treatment centres.
Using NHS 111 online services – which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week – where possible, will also enable the 111 phone service to triage more people with urgent issues.
People should still call 999 and go to A&E in an emergency – when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Through 111.nhs.uk people can:
- find out how to get the right healthcare in their area, including whether they need to see a GP or seek urgent care
- get advice on self-care
- get a call back from a nurse, doctor or other trained health professional if they need it.
People should call 111 to speak to someone if they need to:
- Discuss complex medical problems
- Get medical advice for a child under five.
My friends and I started hiking about three years ago and we try to get out together at least once every 2-3 months.
We were about 2 hours into one when I tripped over a rock while walking up a steady incline and landed badly on my arm. I had never felt pain like it so guessed it was broken.
I’ve had to use Minor Injuries Units (MIU) in the past, so I knew to go straight to our nearest one instead of A&E as they can treat these types of problems.
The staff at the MIU in Whitchurch were amazing. They were able to take me for an x-ray and put a cast on my confirmed broken arm – and even have me home in time for my dinner.
MIUs are a great alternative to A&E as they’re a walk-in service with no age limit and can refer you to somewhere else if necessary and treat the following medical conditions:
- Bites, human and animal
- Cuts and lacerations
- Foreign bodies in the eyes, nose and ears
- X-Ray & Fractures that require plaster only (Ages 5 years and above)
- Minor burns and scalds
- Minor head injuries (with no loss of consciousness)
- Soft tissue injuries, for example sprains and bruises
- Wound infections
The four MIUs across the local area are located in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry and Whitchurch. You can find out more about them here.