Residents in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire are being encouraged to think early about repeat prescriptions and opening hours for GP practices and community pharmacies as the May bank holiday approaches.
Choosing Well when you need health advice or support – by using NHS Direct or visiting your pharmacy – can have a hugely positive impact on busy Emergency Departments during peak holiday periods.
Mr Jeremy Williams, A&E consultant and clinical lead for unscheduled care said: “The best way the public can help our frontline staff, and ensure that they and their families can be seen quickly, is to use other health services and reserve our Emergency Departments for serious or life threatening situations. Ultimately this helps us to save lives.”
The Choose Well guidance can also help people choose the right health service to best meet their individual needs – and to ensure emergency services are there for when we need them most.
For example, did you know your local Pharmacist can give you free, confidential advice, support and treatment on a range common ailments and any emergency medicine you may need without booking an appointment? The list of common ailments can be found at http://www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/communitypharmacy
You can find out more information from the website www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell
Some community pharmacies also now offer a Triage and Treat service to help you if you have had a low level injury and will save you a visit to a doctor or a hospital accident and emergency department.
The types of injuries that can be treated in the pharmacy under this service without an appointment are minor abrasions, superficial cuts and wounds, sprains and strains, eye complaints such as sand in the eye, removal of items from the skin such as a splinter or shell and minor burns.
You can also print out this handy list of local pharmacy opening times over the Bank Holidays: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/page/46867
GPs advise that you get repeat prescriptions in as early as possible to avoid any delay. Dr Llinos Roberts, GP at Tumble surgery, said: “Emergency services are available throughout the Bank Holiday but please help those in need of emergency care by making sure you have your routine medication in stock and only attend Emergency Departments or Out of Hours GP is you cannot wait until after the holidays.”
Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, Community and Long Term Care at Hywel Dda University Health Board, added: “It is important to be prepared and organised with your medications at all times but particularly approaching a Bank Holiday.
However should you require advice for health concerns during this period, a range of services including your local Pharmacist, and a round-the-clock GP out of hours service will be available if you have an urgent problem when your surgery is closed.”
If you are unwell and need to contact a GP out of hours, you should contact your usual GP phone number and will be automatically transferred to the out-of-hours service. If you don’t know where to go or what service you need, you can call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 (or dial 111 if you are a patient in Carmarthenshire).
If you need any urgent dental care over this period you can contact your dental practice to access advice and care.
If you do not have access to a dental practice, please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 (or dial 111 if you are a patient in Carmarthenshire) where an appointment can be arranged for you if required.
For urgent social care out of hours, contact: Carmarthenshire – 01558 824283 Ceredigion – 0845 6015392 Pembrokeshire – 08708 509508 If you are worried about the way you are feeling or behaving, or you are struggling to manage on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Speak to your GP or ring the C.A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline on 0800 132 737, text ‘help’ to 81066 or visit www.callhelpline.org.uk Y
ou could also check your medicine cabinet in advance to check you have a good supply of over the counter medicines which are useful to manage conditions at home.
Here are some items you should keep in a child safe cupboard:
• Pain killing medicine e.g. paracetamol
• Rehydration mixture
• Indigestion remedy
• Plasters
• Thermometer In an emergency, life threatening situation, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
If you need treatment that cannot wait but is not an emergency and you don’t know where to go, contact NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 (or dial 111 if you are a patient in Carmarthenshire).
Dewis eich gwasanaethau iechyd y Gwyl y Banc hwn
Mae trigolion Sir Gaerfyrddin, Ceredigion a Sir Benfro yn cael eu hannog i feddwl ymlaen llaw am bresgripsiynau amlroddadwy ac oriau agor meddygfeydd a fferyllfeydd cymunedol gyda’r Gwyl Banc yn agosau.
Gall gwneud Dewis Doeth pan mae angen cyngor neu gymorth – trwy ddefnyddio Galw Iechyd Cymru neu ymweld â fferyllfa – gael effaith gadarnhaol iawn ar Adrannau Damweiniau ac Argyfyngau prysur yn ystod gwyliau.
Dywedodd Mr Jeremy Williams, Ymgynghorwr Achosion Brys ac Arweinydd Clinigol ar gyfer Gofal heb ei Drefnu: “Y ffordd orau y gall y cyhoedd helpu ein staff rheng flaen, a sicrhau eu bod nhw a’u teuluoedd yn cael eu gweld yn gyflym, yw defnyddio gwasanaethau iechyd eraill a chadw ein Adrannau Achosion Brys ar gyfer sefyllfaoedd difrifol neu sy’n bygwth bywyd. Yn y pen draw mae hyn yn ein helpu i achub bywydau.”
Gall y canllawiau Dewis Doeth hefyd helpu pobl i ddewis y gwasanaethau iechyd cywir er mwyn diwallu eu hanghenion iechyd unigol eu hunain – ac i sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau brys ar gael pan fydd arnom eu hangen fwyaf. Er enghraifft, a wyddech chi fod eich Fferyllydd lleol yn gallu rhoi cyngor, cymorth a thriniaeth gyfrinachol i chi ar gyfer amrywiaeth o fân anhwylderau, yn ogystal ag unrhyw feddyginiaeth frys a allai fod arnoch ei hangen, a hynny’n rhad ac am ddim a heb orfod gwneud apwyntiad? Mae’r rhestr o fân anhwylderau i’w gweld yn http://www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/communitypharmacy
Mae rhagor o wybodaeth i’w chael ar y wefan www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell
Mae rhai fferyllfeydd cymunedol bellach yn cynnig gwasanaeth Brysbennu a Thrin hefyd, a hynny i’ch helpu os byddwch wedi cael anaf lefel isel. Bydd hyn yn arbed ymweliad â’r meddyg neu adran damweiniau ac achosion brys yr ysbyty. Mae’r mathau o fân anafiadau y gellir eu trin yn y fferyllfa o dan y gwasanaeth hwn, a hynny heb apwyntiad, yn cynnwys mân grafiadau, toriadau a chlwyfau arwynebol, ysigiadau a streifiadau, cwynion am y llygaid, er enghraifft tywod yn y llygaid, tynnu eitemau o’r croen, er enghraifft fflawiau, a mân losgiadau.
Gallwch hefyd argraffu’r rhestr ddefnyddiol hon o amserau agor y fferyllfeydd lleol dros y Gwyliau Banc: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/tudalen/56476
Mae Meddygon teulu yn cynghori eich bod yn cyflwyno eich presgripsiynau mlroddadwy cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn osgoi unrhyw oedi. Mae Meddygon teulu yn cynghori eich bod yn cyflwyno eich presgripsiynau mlroddadwy cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn osgoi unrhyw oedi.
Dywedodd Dr Llinos Roberts, Meddyg Teulu ym Meddygfa Tumble: “Mae gwasanaethau brys ar gael drwy gydol Gwyl y Banc, ond gofynnwn i chi helpu’r rhai sydd angen gofal brys trwy wneud yn siwr bod gennych eich meddyginiaeth arferol mewn stoc a’ch bod ond yn mynychu Adrannau Achosion Brys neu’n defnyddio Gwasanaeth Tu Allan Oriau Meddygon Teulu os na allwch chi aros tan ar ôl y gwyliau.”
Ychwanegodd Jill Paterson, Cyfarwyddwr Gofal Sylfaenol, Cymunedol a Gofal Hir-dymor Hywel Dda: “Mae’n bwysig bod yn barod a threfnus gyda’ch meddyginiaethau bob amser ond yn enwedig wrth agosáu at Wyl y Banc. Mae llawer o wasanaethau ar gael os oes gennych broblem frys pan fydd eich meddygfa ar gau, gan gynnwys gwasanaeth Tu Allan i Oriau Meddyg Teulu yn ystod y dydd a’r nôs.”
Os bydd arnoch angen gofal deintyddol brys dros y cyfnod hon, gallwch gysylltu â’ch deintyddfa i gael cyngor a gofal. Os na fydd gennych fynediad i ddeintyddfa, cysylltwch â Galw Iechyd Cymru ar 0845 46 47 (neu ddeialu 111 os ydych yn glaf yn Sir Gaerfyrddin), lle bydd apwyntiad yn gallu cael ei drefnu ar eich cyfer, os bydd angen.
I gael gofal cymdeithasol brys y tu allan i oriau, cysylltwch â’r canlynol: Sir Gaerfyrddin – 01558 824283 Ceredigion – 0845 6015392 Sir Benfro – 08708 509508
Os byddwch y pryderu ynghylch sut yr ydych yn teimlo neu’n ymddwyn, neu os byddwch yn brwydro i ymdopi ar eich pen eich hun, peidiwch â bod ofn gofyn am help. Siaradwch â’ch meddyg teulu, neu ffoniwch Llinell Gymorth Iechyd Meddwl C.A.L.L. ar 0800 132 737, tecstiwch ‘help’ i 81066 neu ewch i www.callhelpline.org.uk
Gallech hefyd edrych ar eich cwpwrdd moddion o flaen llaw i wneud yn siwr bod gennych gyflenwad da o feddyginiaethau dros y cownter sy’n ddefnyddiol i reoli cyflyrau yn y cartref.
Dyma rai eitemau y dylech gadw mewn cwpwrdd sydd allan o gyrraedd plant:
• Meddyginiaeth lleddfu poen e.e. paracetamol
• Cymysgedd ail-hydradu
• Meddyginiaeth diffyg traul
• Plasteri
• Thermomedr Mewn argyfwng neu sefyllfa sy’n bygwth bywyd, ffoniwch 999 a gofyn am ambiwlans.
Os oes angen triniaeth na all aros ond nid yw’n achos brys ac nad ydych yn gwybod ble i fynd, cysylltwch â Galw Iechyd Cymru ar 0845 46 47 (neu ddeialu 111 os ydych yn glaf yn Sir Gaerfyrddin).
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