NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has launched a new campaign to make it as easy as possible for people to access care this winter.
The campaign is based on three simple suggestions – in fact, they’re as easy as ABC – to help people know where to go if they need help, as well as doing their bit to support the NHS during what is traditionally the busiest time of year.
Whether you’re feeling unwell and need a bit of advice, or a relative or loved one has hurt themselves and you’re not sure how best to get the right care for them, just remember the following advice and you won’t go far wrong:
Accessing the right care is as easy as ABC:
Ask yourself: Do I need to go out? For information on keeping yourself well and treating minor illnesses and injuries from home, go to NHS Inform or download the NHS24 app.
Be aware: There is help for many conditions right on your doorstep. Your local GP, pharmacy, dentist or optician offer a range of services.
Call 111: If it’s urgent, or you’re not sure, call NHS24 on 111. They’ll make sure you get the help you need.
Unless it’s an emergency, think ABC before going to A&E.
Throughout the coming winter, NHSGGC will share a host of useful information to help people remember the “ABC” message; healthcare and wellbeing advice so people can look after themselves from the comfort of their own home; and positive stories of how patients fare after they make the right call about accessing the help they need.
Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “People don’t really think about how to access care until things go wrong, but during winter, as pressures grow on all our services, it’s important that we all take a few minutes to make ourselves aware of the best places to get help if we need it.
“It’s easy to think that directions to the local A&E department is all we need to know, but in the majority of cases that isn’t the best place to be – and, in fact, you might be asked to go elsewhere if you do turn up at A&E unnecessarily.
“By knowing where best to go, people will be able to access care more simply while at the same time helping to ease the pressure on our hard-working staff – and that is the aim of our campaign.”
By following the “A,B,C” suggestions, you will be able to access great care without having to travel far from home or sitting for hours in a busy waiting room – or even without leaving home at all.
For example did you know that your local pharmacy can offer help with a range of conditions right on your doorstep, without having to make an appointment or queuing for hours, or that you can access our Virtual A&E from the comfort of your own living room by calling 111?
Quick, easy healthcare is available at the touch of a button or a short stroll away, and NHSGGC is encouraging everyone to make the right call this winter.
Dr Davidson added: “A&E is still there to help people with life-threatening conditions or the most serious injuries, and we would still like to stress that anyone in those circumstances should call 999 or attend A&E immediately, but by remembering our simple suggestions – so simple, in fact, they’re as easy as A,B,C – more people will be able to access the right care whenever they need it.”
Think A,B,C before going to A&E – the levels of care available to everyone:
- Ask yourself: Do I need to go out? For information on treating minor illnesses and injuries from home, go to NHS Inform.
NHS Inform and the NHS24 app giving advice and information on countless illnesses and conditions, tests and treatments, vaccinations, self-care and much more.
They offer symptom checkers, self-help guides and directories of services available throughout the country, and should be the first port of call for anyone looking for information on a minor illness or injury, from the comfort of their own home.
- Be aware: There is help on your doorstep. Your local GP, pharmacy or optician offer a range of services.
Most GP surgeries offer so much more than an appointment with a doctor. A simple phone call can give you access to services including virtual consultations, physiotherapy, health screening and vaccinations, and mental health support.
Pharmacists are trained to offer help and advice for many illnesses and conditions, and if you look out for the ‘Pharmacy First’ logo, you’ll also be able to use their extensive prescribing services – which means access to healthcare, without an appointment and while you wait.
Along with other community-based services such as opticians and dentists, which can offer expert help with a range of eye-related and oral conditions respectively, it always pays to familiarise yourself with the care available right on your doorstep.
- Call 111: If it’s urgent, or you’re not sure, call NHS24 on 111. They’ll make sure you get the help you need.
NHS24 is the national helpline that allows you to access a range of services. If you think a condition or injury is urgent, or if you’re not sure where to go and need advice, all you have to do is call 111.
There you will be given access to NHSGGC’s Virtual A&E, or Flow Navigation Centre, where trained clinicians will talk you through your condition and make sure you get the help you need.
Please remember – if your think your condition or injury is very urgent or life-threatening, you should call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
In all other circumstances, please think ABC before going to A&E.
For more information on the best ways to access care, click here.
