How NHS staff in Sussex are working hard to keep health services running safely

Following the Government’s latest announcement about new restrictions for Englandto limit the spread of COVID-19, health and care organisations across Sussex are reassuring everyone that the NHS is here for you.
Health services in Sussex are there to help youHealth services in Sussex are there to help you
Health services in Sussex are there to help you

Health services across Sussex are open and NHS staff are working hard to keep services running in a way that’s safe for patients and staff.

Get the right treatment

If you need medical help from your GP, your GP practice is open. Please contact them online or by phone to be assessed in the first instance.

GP practices have measures in place to minimise risk from coronavirusGP practices have measures in place to minimise risk from coronavirus
GP practices have measures in place to minimise risk from coronavirus

A whole team of professionals at your GP practice is ready to support you over the phone and online, and if you clinically need to see a health professional face-to-face this will be arranged.

It may take teams slightly longer than normal to answer calls because everyone is being asked to phone or contact practices online, but they are working hard to speak to you so please keep trying if you need support from your GP.

Most importantly, if you or a loved one have worrying symptoms, please don’t put off contacting your GP – don’t wait.

You can also get medical help at any time from NHS 111 online or by phone. The NHS111 service in Sussex has been enhanced this autumn and you can now receive expert advice from a wider range of healthcare professionals by calling 111 or visiting www.111.nhs.uk.

Contact 111 for medical help and adviceContact 111 for medical help and advice
Contact 111 for medical help and advice

GPs, paramedics, nurses, mental health professionals, dental nurses and pharmacists are all part of the new clinical assessment service.

If you call 111 – free from mobiles or landlines 24/7 - you will speak to call handlers and/or healthcare professionals who will be able to assess your symptoms over the phone, after advice and support, issue prescriptions and directly book you into onward care appointments if you need one.

Continue to attend appointments

If you have any hospital appointments, please continue to attend them unless you are told not to.

Emergency care hasn’t stopped throughout the entire pandemic and planned and routine appointments have been restarting over recent months.

New restrictions this week will not change this and hospital teams are working hard to ensure appointments and clinics can continue. All of our hospitals have measures in place to ensure they can continue to see patients safely.

These include keeping COVID-19 patients away from non-COVID-19 patients, requiring all staff and visitors to wear face coverings and masks (unless you are exempt), observing social distancing and cleaning areas continuously.

There may be additional measures in place and steps to follow to attend your appointment – please do what your hospital team asks you to follow so your appointment can go ahead as planned.

If you cannot attend an appointment, please make sure you tell the hospital team as soon as possible so they may be able to offer the time to someone else.

If you have any questions or concerns about coming to one of the hospitals across Sussex, please visit the hospital’s website – there is all the information you need about how things may have changed and how you can stay safe.

Mental wellbeing

Taking care of your mental health is more important than ever in these challenging times. We are working hard to help and support those in our community who may be struggling.

For support, the first place to go to is the NHS’s Every Mind Matters website. It’s full of mental health help and advice and they’ve also published 10 tips to help you if you’re worried about coronavirus.

Both Mind and the Mental Health Foundation have also published useful advice and guidance, including plans for staying at home if you need to self-isolate, managing handwashing and anxiety and how to keep up to date with the latest news whilst looking after your mental health.

If you or a loved one needs further expert mental health support, please visit www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk for information on services available in Sussex.

Hands, face, space

During this time, let’s all remember the most important things we can do to stop the spread of the virus:

Wash your hands – often, and whenever you get home, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Wear a face covering - if you can, cover your nose and mouth in places where it’s hard to stay away from other people.

Watch your space – wherever possible, stay at least two metres away from people you don’t live with.

If you think you might have coronavirus, stay at home and arrange a free test.

This year the NHS is doing more than ever to prepare for winter and any rise in COVID-19 cases in Sussex.

There may be further restrictions coming in this week, but the NHS remains here for you.

Local teams are working hard to ensure people can continue to get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Help Us Help You.

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