Greater Manchester Integrated Care have compiled a useful communication toolkit packed full of information to help prioritise our well-being and to take care of ourselves.
NHS Greater Manchester’s Get To Know Where To Go campaign was launched in Winter 2022 and has been a trusted vehicle for carrying important and pertinent messaging around appropriate use of NHS services. The campaign focuses on enabling better, more effective decisions with straightforward and timely advice.
Get prepared for the bank holiday and the new school term!
Summer and school holidays can be a busy time, and with so much going on in the run up to the August bank holiday it’s easy to forget the smaller things like making sure you get your repeat prescription to the pharmacy in good time and ensuring your child is up to date with their vaccinations prior to starting the new school year. By thinking ahead and re-stocking medicine cabinets, people can make sure they make the most of the bank holiday and are well-prepared for the busy period.
Although it can be great fun to bask in the sun and enjoy a BBQ with friends or family with a drink or two, there are a few simple things we can all do to stay safe. This includes looking out for those who may be struggling with the heat, taking precautions to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, staying cool indoors and avoiding physical exercise at peak times of the day (between 11am-3pm). It’s important to remember that although as summer draws to a close, the pollen count remains high so knowing where to go for allergy advice is vital.
It’s also crucial during this time of year to recognise the potential impact on mental health and alcohol related concerns. Summer can be a difficult time for people and whilst some enjoy time with friends and family at social gatherings or on holiday, others may experience feelings of loneliness, worry or anxiety. It’s important to look after yourself and others – remember that support is available to those how who may need it.
As pressure surrounding exam results builds, people are also reminded of the wealth of mental health support available for young people and their parents or carers. If either yourself or your child is finding the upcoming exam results period overwhelming, help is available. Whether it’s to help build resilience and stay mentally healthy when things are feeling challenging, to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, or to find out how best to support your child, lots of help and advice can be found from services such as Kooth, Silvercloud or Qwell.
People are reminded that:
The local pharmacy can offer advice and treatment for lots of minor illnesses, ailments and allergies – without the need for an appointment. Many will still be open over the bank holiday, but some will operate with reduced hours.
Dental support can be accessed via the Greater Manchester dental helpline (0333 332 3800), which is available from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays for those who need help urgently when their practice is closed, or do not have a regular dentist.
Greater Manchester’s Urgent Eye Care Service can provide assessments and treatment quickly if a sudden change in vision, red or painful eyes or new flashes or floaters are seen. This is a free NHS service, made up of local optician teams. Available to anyone registered with a Greater Manchester GP. To find out more, visit www.primaryeyecare.co.uk
Mental health crisis support
Free 24/7 mental health crisis support is available across Greater Manchester.
For Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Wigan residents, call 0800 953 0285.
For Bury, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Oldham, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop the number is 0800 014 9995.
Free digital mental wellbeing support
Access free, safe, and anonymous professional support online. There are no waiting lists for support and no referral needed. Access to these platforms is available instantly 24/7. Support available includes: Live chat or messaging with qualified mental health professionals; self-help tools and activities; Visit Kooth (for ages 10 to 25) www.kooth.com or Qwell (for ages 26+) www.qwell.io/, Living Life To The Full and SilverCloud for adults 16yrs +
In addition to the above digital support offers, there are now two other free programmes available: SilverCloud’s programmes for parents and carers.
Supporting an Anxious Child (for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11)
Supporting an Anxious Teen (for parents and carers of teenagers aged 12 to 18)
You can access these programmes here gm.silvercloudhealth.com/signup.
Services you can self-refer to
Find out about the range of mental health and wellbeing support services in Greater Manchester that you can self-refer to. There’s information on this page for children and young people and adults. Visit https://hub.gmintegratedcare.org.uk/mental-health/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-greater-manchester-that-you-can-self-refer-to/
Alcohol addiction
Support is available to those who may need it. For services in your local area, visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services
Foodbanks
There are lots of foodbanks across Greater Manchester. Many of these services offer more than just food, some may offer support around mental health and wellbeing, food parcels, financial advice and support, community ran groups and much more. For help in your local area, visit www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/helping-hand/food.
As always the first port of call for non-emergency health needs should be NHS 111 Online or call 111.
