Confirmation of club's support in local initiative to keep A&E for people in real need of medical help
Bolton Wanderers are supporting NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to get the message out to supporters that they need to keep A&E for those who really need it.
Working with the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust and the football club itself, the key point is that there are lots of alternatives if you or a member of your family need health care, advice, or treatment in a rush.
Self-care is the best choice for many minor illnesses and injuries this winter, while Bolton’s local pharmacies are a great place to go for expert advice and over the counter medicines, without an appointment.
Also, thanks to an investment of £3.4 million by the CCG, it’s now even easier to see your GP with practices now open from 8am to 6.30pm on weekdays, including Wednesday afternoons, with no breaks for lunch. This means that 60,000 more patients will be seen over the course of the year.
Parents will be pleased to know children under 12 will now be assessed on the same day you call your GP practice. Although this may be a chat over the phone to begin with so you can tell them what’s wrong, people will get the reassurance of knowing it’s nothing to worry about or called down to the surgery for further investigation where if they need urgent hospital care, the GP will sort this out.
Alongside the above, the GP out of hours service is there to help with urgent health problems when practices are closed. Just call 111 if you, or a member of your family, need help overnight or at the weekend.
If your illness or injury is serious or life threatening, you’ll be told to go straight to A&E, but for anything else, keep A&E as a very last resort so hard working hospital staff can concentrate on treating those who really need to be there.
Speaking regarding Wanderers’ support, Phil Mason, Head of the Community Trust, said, “It is great to be supporting this initiative as we need to keep A&E services for those who really require it.
“We can all play our part to use the GP practice rather than A&E as well as using self-care.
“In the Community Trust, we are engaged in schools and community work where were are getting this important message out there at this critical time of the year so that A&E services can be used more effectively, so keeping us all safe and well.”