Have a happy and healthy Christmas!

Did you know that there are lots of hints and tips to help you have a healthy Christmas this year?

HealthEast, the clinical commissioning group for Great Yarmouth and Waveney, is reminding people that NHS Choices has some simple advice to make sure you have a happy, healthy Christmas.  This includes:

• Keep warm by turning on your heating, wearing layers and enjoying regular hot drinks and meals, and keep a check on elderly or vulnerable family members or neighbours.
• Stay active. Turn off the television, get out and about and enjoy a cold, crisp winter walk with friends or family to get the blood pumping and build up an appetite for Christmas dinner.
• Keep cooked and raw food separate to avoid cross contamination. Use different chopping boards and make sure you clean all equipment – and your hands – thoroughly.
• Set your fridge to 5 degrees C to keep food cool until its needed and reduce the risk of bacteria spreading. Make sure you defrost your turkey thoroughly before cooking.
• Make sure your turkey is cooked thoroughly before you serve it. All juices should be clear when you pierce the thickest part of the bird, and none of the meat should be pink.
• Drink sensibly and stick to the limits recommended by the NHS, which is 3 – 4 units a day for men (around two pints) and 2 – 3 units for women (one large glass of wine)

For more hints and tips on staying healthy this festive season, including help on how to keep your New Year resolutions visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthychristmas

Choose well for health help this Christmas

Anyone who needs health help this Christmas has been urged to choose the right place for treatment so they can make sure emergency services remain available for those in the greatest need.

HealthEast, Great Yarmouth and Waveney’s clinical commissioning group, is reminding people of the range of options available to them in the run up to the festive break. This includes:

• local pharmacists, who are experts in medicines and can give advice about minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds and sore throats, so that you can care for yourself at home. A full list of pharmacies open over Christmas and New Year is available on HealthEast’s website, at www.greatyarmouthandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/Christmas2014

• the free NHS 111 number, which is for people who need urgent medical help or advice but are not in a life-threatening situation. You can call 111 24 hours a day if:
• you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call
• you need health information or reassurance about what to do next
• you need to see a GP urgently when your practice is closed

Your call will be answered by a trained call handler, whose job it is to ensure you can access the most appropriate local service.

• Greyfriars walk-in centre in Howard Street South, Great Yarmouth, which is open every day from 8am to 8pm, and is ideal for people who need to be seen immediately but do not have a serious illness or injury. You can call the centre on 01493 335340.

Anyone with a minor injury, such as scalds, sprains, cuts and strains, can go to:

• Beccles minor injuries unit, which is based at the town’s hospital on St Mary’s Road and open daily from 8am to 8pm. Call 01502 719821 for more information.

• Halesworth MIU, at Cutler’s Hill Surgery on Bungay Road, which is open from 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays, but is closed at weekends and bank holidays. You can contact the MIU on 01986 874618.

For more information about healthcare in Great Yarmouth and Waveney, visit the HealthEast website at www.greatyarmouthandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/ChooseWell

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