Getting healthcare help over the festive period

THE NHS in Sefton is reminding you that they are still here for you over the upcoming Christmas and new year bank holidays, and sharing advice for planning ahead and getting healthcare help over the holidays.
 
Plan ahead to get help from your Pharmacy...

Some local Pharmacies in Sefton may have different opening hours over the festive period, which can be found online on the Sefton Partnership website.
 
You are advised to phone ahead before travelling to a Pharmacy, as opening times may be subject to change, and to travel safely in the cold weather.
 
Sefton's - Care at the Chemist' scheme also offers convenient healthcare advice and medicines and is available at 31 Pharmacies in the borough. It means that, where appropriate, you can go directly to your local Pharmacy for expert advice and treatment for a wide variety of conditions, without needing to see your GP 1st. Ask at your local Pharmacy to find out more about the Care at the Chemist scheme.

 
Get prescription medications early...
 
You are advised to plan ahead to stock up on any medications you may need and to order repeat prescriptions to make sure you have enough supply over the festive period.
 
For support with prescription costs, you can find out if you are eligible for NHS income support by visiting:- NHSBSA.NHS.UK/Check-For-Help-Paying-NHS-Costs.
 
Anyone who regularly needs prescription medications can also save money by buying an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate, which costs £30.25 for three months, or £108.10 for 12 months for an unlimited amount of prescriptions. These can be purchased online.
 
Get urgent health care help from 111...
 
Anyone who needs urgent healthcare help or advice over the holidays is asked to; think 111 1st' and use the NHS 111 online service:- 111.NHS.UK. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on bank holidays, and in many cases NHS 111 clinicians and advisors can give patients the advice they need without using another service such as their GP or A&E.
 
Check symptoms if your child is unwell...
 
Parents and carers are advised to use the online Alder Hey Symptom Checker tool to get advice and guidance on the right care for your child if they become unwell over the festive period. The tool has been developed by clinicians at Alder Hey and offers trustworthy advice and information on several of the most common symptoms in children requiring urgent care.
 
Bookmark the Symptom Checker on your mobile phone or laptop, for quick and easy access should your child become unwell:- Alderhey.NHS.UK.
 
Get up to date with vaccinations...
 
With flu and Covid19 circulating during the winter period, anyone eligible for their vaccines is urged to get up to date ahead of the holidays, to keep yourselves and loved ones safe and protected from serious illness.
 
Seasonal booster vaccines for Covid19 are still available; check if you are eligible for the booster, book a vaccination or find a walk in vaccination site at:- NHS.UK/Covid-Vaccination. Anyone aged 5 and over can also still get any of their previous Covid19 vaccination doses they may have missed.
 
Flu Vaccinations are also available free on the NHS to eligible patients and you can check if you are eligible for the vaccine at:- NHS.UK/FluVaccine.
 
Parents and carers are also urged to ensure that eligible children get the children's flu vaccine, which is given as a nasal spray, either through their GP Practice or School when offered. Find out more about who should have the children's nasal spray flu vaccine at:- NHS.UK.

Forensic face construction on the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

A Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is a Guest Presenter on the 2022 Royal Institute (Ri) Christmas Lecture series. Broadcast on BBC 4 next week, Professor Charlie Frowd will explore e-photo composites where eyewitness use technology to paint a picture of a criminal's face.

In the old fashioned way, the audience will work together to build a face of a thief who stole a diamond ring earlier that afternoon, selecting facial features:- eyes, nose and mouth. This "photo fit" is compared to the face created by a member of the audience using UCLan's award winning facial composite software EvoFIT.

At the end of the show, the audience will vote on whether there was sufficient evidence in the mock case to find the suspect guilty. 

Charlie said:- "In the past, photofit and similar facial, feature' systems didn't usually produce faces that other people can identify but the field has since been transformed. With EvoFIT, it is now possible for an eyewitness to create the face of a perpetrator a day or 2 after a crime that can be correctly identified by other people about 60% of the time. It is such an honour to be involved in this year's Ri Christmas lecture series and showcase this amazing technology."

The Ri Christmas Lectures are the world's leading science lectures for young people. This year, the series will be led by Professor Dame Sue Black who will reveal the secrets of forensic science. The show will also examine other sources of evidence that may be available in a criminal investigation, including:- identity parades, CCTV, fingerprints and DNA. An expert in each field will be cross examined by a senior defence barrister. 

The programme will air at:- 8.00pm, on Wednesday, 28 December 2022, on BBC 4 and will be available on the iPlayer.