Health services over the August Bank Holiday

Published: 24 August 2022

pharmacy counter

The August bank holiday will soon approach us, and so it’s important to know where to get help should you need it.

Some pharmacies will be closed on Monday 29 August and regular GP services will be not be available. If you or your family need regular prescription medicine, check if you have enough to use over the bank holiday. If you need more, make sure you order it soon in order to collect it before Friday 26 August, as it may be difficult to get more over the bank holiday weekend. This is also important because many GP and hospital services are often busier after the bank holiday, so you may not be able to get an appointment quickly.

If you need help with minor illnesses across the long weekend, your local pharmacist can help you get the right medicine to relieve your symptoms – they are also a great source of trusted advice on a range of health issues. Some local pharmacies are open over the weekend, including bank holiday Monday. To find out the opening hours of pharmacies near you across the bank holiday, visit our pharmacy page. 

While you’re checking if you have enough medicines, it may be worth giving your medicine cupboard a clean. You may already have more than a month’s supply of a regular medicine. If you do, hold off on re-ordering. This is because medicines have a ‘use by’ date, and also because stockpiling medicines can be dangerous to other family members, particularly children. You don’t need to order a medicine every month to keep it on your repeat prescription list, so don’t be afraid to use up the medicines you already have before ordering more.

Urgent medical help

Advanced, a third-party software supplier, has advised us that they have been subject to an external cyber incident. As a precaution, some of the software that the NHS uses has been taken offline. This is impacting NHS 111 services which are available but the service is currently extremely busy and they are unable to answer calls as quickly as they would like to. 

If you feel that you are safely able to look after yourself without speaking to someone then guidance on self-treatment is available at www.nhs.uk. You can also get advice at your local pharmacy or GP when open. As ever if it is an emergency, please call 999.

If you’ve completely run out of your regular medication you can request a limited emergency supply online. This must be a medicine you are prescribed regularly, usually through a repeat prescription. Find out how at 111.nhs.uk.