Services to close for Queen’s funeral bank holiday

Some health services will be closed or operating different hours on Monday to allow staff to pay their respects to Her Late Majesty The Queen during her funeral.

People are advised to be ready for the bank holiday by ordering any repeat prescriptions in advance, re-stocking medicine cabinets and understanding which services are available should they need medical assistance.

GP practices in Lancashire and South Cumbria will be closed, as will many other services such as dentists, optometrists and some pharmacies.

COVID-19 vaccination sites in Preston St John’s, Barbara Castle Way in Blackburn and Burnley Mall will be closed and many locally-organised clinics have been rearranged.

Anyone with an appointment booked for Monday should be contacted to confirm whether their appointment is going ahead or if it is to be rescheduled. Any appointments that are deemed clinically urgent, including cancer diagnostics, outpatients and elective procedures, will go ahead as planned.

For any urgent care needs, people are asked to visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111. NHS 111 will help direct you to the most appropriate service which could be a walk-in centre, pharmacy or an out of hours GP appointment.

In a life-threatening situation, people should always call 999.

Residents who take regular prescription medicines are asked to order at least 48 hours in advance via their usual method to ensure enough time to process requests.

Some local pharmacies will be open and are able to provide expert advice and deal with minor ailments and illnesses. For more information, click here.

For urgent or emergency dental treatment, call 0300 1234010.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, the 24/7 Crisis Line is available on 0800 953 0110.

It is also worth checking general medicine cabinets before the Bank Holiday to make sure it is well stocked with essentials such as paracetamol, cough and cold remedies, antihistamines, and plasters and bandages. These can all be bought from supermarkets or pharmacies. Local pharmacists can also provide free, confidential, expert advice and treatment for a variety of common complaints.

For more information on how to get the most out of your medicine cabinet, visit: https://www.healthierlsc.co.uk/getinvolved/self-care/medicine-cabinet