GP services across Berkshire West will still be available tomorrow — the VE Day Bank Holiday — to support patients with urgent, non-coronavirus, health issues.
Anyone who needs urgent help is advised to contact their GP surgery online, or by phone, to be assessed. Then, if face to face attention is needed, this will be arranged.
Anyone with suspected coronavirus symptoms, a constant cough and/or high temperature of 37.8°C should contact the NHS 111 online service.
If they don’t have access to online facilities they should ring 111. They should not attend their GP surgery.
Many local pharmacies will be open for a minimum of three hours on Friday from 2pm until 5pm, some will open for longer. For details, visit the individual pharmacy’s website.
NHS dental practices will be providing urgent telephone advice and triage but people with a regular dentist are asked to call them as a first step — but must not visit the practice.
Anyone without a regular dentist and in need of urgent dental advice, should call NHS 111. They should not visit the Hospital’s Emergency Department for dental problems.
Dr Abid Iran, Chair of the CCG, said: “We want to reassure people that there is a network of healthcare support available over this Bank Holiday weekend and if people are unwell and need urgent advice they need to get in touch with their GP surgery.
“If they are seriously unwell with symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or breathing difficulties, they should go to the hospital’s Emergency Department where systems are in place to separate coronavirus and non-coronavirus cases.
“We’re also reminding people of the other options they have like pharmacists, online advice from their surgery website and similar support from the NHS App.”