With the Easter Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 18th to Monday 21st April) approaching, the NHS is urging people to plan ahead by ordering any repeat prescriptions they might need, now.

Any repeat prescriptions due over the Easter weekend should place their orders by Friday 11th April at the latest to ensure they can be processed and collected in time.

Last Easter, NHS 111 received more than double the number of calls from people across the North West who needed to order repeat prescriptions. That's 4,176 calls compared with 1,645 received the previous weekend.

NHS App

Using the NHS App is the quickest and easiest way to order repeat prescriptions at a time that is convenient to you, and it puts you in greater control of your own health. You can also use the App to choose at which pharmacy you’d like to collect your medication. You can also use it to track the progress of your order.

You can find out more about the NHS App here.

You can download the NHS App via Google play or the App store. You can also access the same services in a web browser by logging in through the NHS website.

If you’re struggling to get started, use the ‘Help’ button in the app or visit nhs.uk/helpmeapp.

As well as ordering repeat medications, the NHS App enable you to book and cancel appointments at you GP practice, view your health record and get trusted NHS information and health advice on hundreds of conditions and treatments.

Don’t wait

Susanne Lynch MBE, Chief Pharmacist for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “If you take regular medications to manage a condition, don’t wait for your prescription to run out before making a request, as it can take time for your request to be processed by your GP practice and dispensed by your pharmacy.

“This is especially true during busy periods such as Easter, which is why we’re asking people to order their repeat prescriptions by Friday 11 April – earlier if possible – to avoid the risk of running out of vital medication during the Bank Holidays.

“Before making a request, please check what medicines you have at home and only order what you need to avoid unnecessary medicine waste, which costs the NHS around £300 million annually.”

Closed or reduced hours

Dr Fiona Lemmens, Deputy Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “Many pharmacies will be closed or operating on reduced hours on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, making it more challenging for patients to access medicines at short notice.

“GP practices will also be closed during the bank holidays, so planning ahead by ordering your repeat prescriptions in good time will avoid you having to use urgent or emergency services over the break, which can put added pressure on already busy NHS services.

“If you need urgent health advice while your GP practice is closed and aren’t sure what to do, make NHS 111 online your first port of call.”

Urgent care

People are also being urged to make sure that they know how to access urgent care if they need it over the Easter weekend.  

If someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life may be at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E.

But hospitals can get very busy over a long Bank Holiday weekend, which is why NHS 111 is the best first point of call for any non-emergency healthcare treatment and advice. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phoning 111, or online at www.111.nhs.uk. 

If needed, NHS 111 can arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor, or paramedic or they can book you an appointment at a local pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, or hospital A&E department.

Minor health concerns

For advice and treatment for minor health concerns, people are also reminded they can visit an NHS walk-in or urgent treatment centre.

Or they might want to think about using the new ‘Pharmacy First’ service, which means pharmacists can assess and treat patients for common conditions without the need for a GP appointment or prescription first.

You can search for your nearest pharmacy and find out their opening times at www.nhs.uk/find-a-pharmacy.

Parents and carers

If your child is unwell, you can find the Alder Hey online symptom checker here.

The symptom checker includes helpful advice on how to treat your child at home, and when to seek further medical help.

More information

More information about when to visit urgent treatment centres, when to call 999 and when to go to A&E is available via the national NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services