With the school half-term on the horizon, doctors in Kent and Medway are reminding parents and carers about where to go if they need NHS help.
NHS Kent and Medway has a toolkit for parents of five to 11-year olds which has useful information about services, advice on common childhood health problems and items you should keep at home in a medicine cabinet.
It also has information about which vaccinations your child needs and tips on good mental health.
Kate Langford, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “Parents can use this guide to keep their children healthy and ready for anything.
“Knowing what to do and picking the right service to use can be challenging – please download this and keep it somewhere safe for when you need it.”
Download the primary school children NHS toolkit.
Get the right help
The school break is a busy period for NHS services and it is important people use the right service when they are ill or injured.
Here are our top tips:
- if you or your children are not well, get advice from your pharmacist at the first sign of feeling ill – don’t wait for it to get more serious
- pharmacists will be happy to talk to you about a cough or a cold and can sell a range of medication without the need for a prescription
- make sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home, which should include paracetamol, cold remedies, plasters, tweezers and a thermometer
- if you are going away, make sure you pick up any prescription medications that you need in plenty of time and make sure to take it with you
People can find out more about where to go for help at www.stopthinkchoose.co.uk.
The website also has a map of local pharmacies, including ones open on bank holiday (Monday, 29 May) and details of mental health support.