Glasgow doctor shares advice ahead of busy Jubilee bank holiday weekend at QEUH emergency department

A doctor in one of Scotland’s busiest emergency departments has shared tips on how people can have an enjoyable, and safe, Jubilee holiday weekend well away from any doctors.

Dr Alan Whitelaw, clinical director for emergency care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), shared advice based on personal experience of ‘having worked on too many sunny bank holidays’.

He advised people who are feeling unwell to seek medical attention before the holiday starts.

GPs and pharmacies remain open as normal on Thursday, but services will be restricted on Friday.

There’s a full list of services open on Friday available on the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) website.

GPs will be closed on Friday so the public must make sure that if they’re running low on medicine, to get their prescriptions written before then.

Bank holidays tend to be busy times for hospitals and GP out of hours services and people are being advised to follow some simple advice over the sunny weekend such as – wear a pair of shoes when using a lawn mower, don’t ‘help’ light the BBQ with petrol, don’t attack shrubbery with electric power tools without some eye protection, and give the trampoline a miss after having a few beers.

For any illness or injury which requires urgent attention, call NHS24 on 111 to access the NHSGGC flow navigation centre, which is a new virtual A&E service where you’ll be seen quickly by an advanced nurse practitioner either over the phone or via video conference, potentially avoiding an unnecessary trip to a busy A&E.

If it’s life threatening, you should always call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

Dr Whitelaw said: “Don’t let a day or night of fun become a night with me or my colleagues.

“Our A&Es are extremely busy just now as our staff work hard to look after seriously injured and very sick people so you could be in for a long wait.

“If you do have an accident requiring urgent medical attention, call NHS24 on 111 to access our flow navigation centre. Staff will be on hand to assess and treat you faster than if you come to an A&E. If you need physical treatment, they’ll be able to schedule an arrival time to minimise waiting.

“Most importantly, please be careful over the holiday. We want people to enjoy their weekend, and not spend it in A&E if that can be avoided.

“If you think you might need to see or speak to a GP or pharmacist, please do that today ahead of the holiday.”