Easter is coming - plan ahead with prescriptions says nursing boss

With the Easter Bank Holiday approaching, we are encouraging people to plan ahead and ensure that they have their essential prescriptions in time.

Your General Practice (GP) will be closed on Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April), so it is important for patients who rely on repeat prescriptions to order them well in advance and to make sure they have enough to see them through the Easter period.

Some pharmacies will be open over the bank holiday period and they can offer you expert advice, over-the-counter treatments and emergency medication where appropriate. If you need advice or treatment over the bank holiday, check your local pharmacy’s opening times: https://bit.ly/42otWLE. 

They can help with a range of minor ailments, including cold and flu symptoms, stomach upsets, sore throat and earache, as well as rashes and skin conditions.

Running out of vital medication can cause unnecessary health risks and pressure on our hospitals, so patients should be requesting their medication as soon as possible either through their GP practice, the NHS App, or through the Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) service. You can contact POD by completing this online form, emailing shropshire.pod@nhs.net or calling 03333 583 509.

If you have a life-threatening emergency, our emergency departments remain open 24 hours a day, so please continue to come forward as normal.

You can also visit NHS 111 online or call 111 from landlines and mobiles if you need urgent medical help or consider visiting your local Minor Injury Unit in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry or Whitchurch. 

These can provide rapid treatment for injuries and illnesses that don’t require emergency hospital care. To find your nearest MIU’s opening times, please visit:  https://www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/your-health/where-to-get-advice-and-help/minor-injuries-and-urgent-treatment/minor-injury-units/

For further information about Think Which Service, which aims to help you to know where to go to get the right advice, support and treatment for your health needs as quickly as possible, visit: http://thinkwhichservice.co.uk/ 

We are always looking at ways to encourage our patients to stay as active as possible both in hospital and when they are back at home, as it can help them reduce the time it takes to recover from illness or injury.

It is known that if patients are inactive and stay in bed all day whilst in hospital this can lead to a decline in mobility and muscle strength, so we have introduced a variety of sessions to support movement.

One of these sessions is Music + Move, where Kevin from our Chaplaincy Team visits various wards for a singalong. He sings everything from "I am the Music Man" and "The Hokey Cokey" to classics such as "You are my Sunshine" and "Is this the Way to Amarillo?" 

Our patients are also encouraged to move along to the music – it brings a great sense of joy and fun to both our patients and staff.