NHS shares five ways to stay well over the summer holidays

As schools across Cambridgeshire head into the school holidays, the NHS is offering parents and carers some advice and tips on how to stay well this summer.

We all want to be as well as we can over the summer, particularly over the holidays when out and about more with family and friends.

To help local people stay well, NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB is sharing five simple ways to look after your health and wellbeing:

- Carry a first aid kit. The simplest thing is having a well-stocked first aid kit, both at home and when out and about over the holidays. Your first aid kit should include basic first aid items such as plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes, and painkillers, and can be stored in your car or in a bag taken out for the day.

- Use your local pharmacy. Pharmacies are not just there to collect prescriptions; they also sell a wide range of medications that can be bought without needing to see a GP.

The Pharmacy First scheme can also offer treatment and some prescription medicine for the following conditions for children: earache (for children one-17); infected insect bites (for children over the age of one); sinusitis (for children over 12); and sore throats (for children over five). Find a local pharmacy by searching ‘find a pharmacy’ online.

- Make sure your child has all their vaccinations. Nearly 5,000 (around 10%) children under five are missing their MMR vaccination, and more than 8,500 are missing their 4-in-1 pre-school booster locally.

Make sure your child is fully protected. Visit https://www.cpics.org.uk/the-vaccinators for more information and details of walk-in clinics.

- Use NHS 111 online. If you think you need urgent medical help, and your child is over five, then 111 online can tell you what to do next. You can access it 24 hours a day, seven days a week by visiting 111.nhs.uk. If your child is under five years old, you can call 111 for support and advice.

- Remember A&E isn’t the only option for urgent help – Ely, Doddington and Wisbech all have Minor Injury Units, and Peterborough has an Urgent Treatment Centre. These can help with injuries such as sprains, strains, broken bones, minor burns and scalds, minor head and eye injuries, cuts, bites, and stings.

Dr Fiona Head, medical director at NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “The summer holidays can be busy with lots to think about and plan, which is why we really want to support local parents and carers and their families to stay well, but also know that there’s local NHS support available when they need it.

“We can all help the local NHS by using the right NHS service for illnesses and injuries, and by doing so, it means those most in need receive the right care when they need it.”