As the nights get darker and the weather turns colder, more people get ill and need support from the health service. Last winter (09/10) in the East Midlands more than 6,200 people were admitted into hospital with pneumonia while 1,185 wound up in hospital after falling in the icy conditions.Meanwhile, around 2,000 people a week visited their GP with flu-like symptoms.
While it is inevitable that some people will get sick at this time of year, there are plenty of steps that individuals can take to avoid becoming another winter statistic.
In the run up to Christmas, the NHS will be providing lots of tips and advice to help people keep themselves and their families well and out of hospital.
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Keep Warm, Keep Well – make sure you keep your house warm during winter; there are lots of grants available to help you do this and make sure you eat properly as this provides your body with energy to keep itself warm and well
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Get the flu jab – if you are aged over 65 or have a serious medical condition you should speak to your GP about getting a jab to protect yourself
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Choose Well – have a well stocked medicine cabinet at home and make use of your local pharmacist, walk-in centre or NHS Direct who can often provide you with the help and advice you need without you having to visit your GP or go to A&E
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Manage your long term condition –speak to your GP about getting a personalised care plan which will ensure you’ve got the right support in place to reduce flare-ups in your condition. If you do feel yourself starting to become unwell seek help straight away rather than wait until your symptoms get so worse you need emergency treatment.
Lorraine Wright, assistant director of programme planning at NHS East Midlands, said: “The winter months can place significant pressures on our health and subsequently on NHS services. Staying as healthy as possible by following key health advice and taking proactive steps to manage our own health and well-being can help prevent complications and avoid unnecessary illness.”
More advice about keeping well this winter can be found on NHS East Midlands’ website at: www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/public-patients/winter-wellness
