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Winter Health Services

24th December 2024

We would encourage you to be aware of the services available to you this winter to ensure you get the right care at the right time in the right place.

There are important steps we can all take to help our health and social care services deal with winter pressures. These range from using services appropriately, caring for ourselves and others, and co-operating with hospital discharge processes.

Below are a number of services available to you so you can make an informed choice about the care you need.

Symptom Checkers

If you have a minor health concern you can visit the A-Z Symptom Checker on the NI Direct website for help and advice.

If your child is feeling unwell and their condition isn’t life threatening please visit our Children’s Symptom Checker for guidance.

Phone First

The Phone First service is designed for patients, including children, who are feeling unwell and considering travelling to an Emergency Department.

When you call the Phone First service you will be assessed by a healthcare professional, you will then be given advice and, if required, directed to the most appropriate urgent or community service to meet your treatment or care needs.

Phone First is available Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm, excluding bank holidays. You can call us on 028 9615 9444.

If your condition is an emergency you should always call 999. 

Pharmacy First

You can use the Pharmacy First service to get advice and treatment from participating Community Pharmacies, without waiting for an appointment to see your GP.

There are four services within Pharmacy First:

  • Every Day Health Conditions
  • Emergency Hormonal Contraception (the morning after pill)
  • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
  • Sore Throat

Vaccination

Flu, Covid-19 and RSV all tend to circulate more in winter months. Vaccination provides you with vital protection. It also helps to reduce pressure on health services.

For more information on vaccinations and where you can get yours visit the NI Direct website.

GP Out of Hours

The GP out of hours service provides urgent care for people in Belfast when their usual GP surgery is closed.

GP out of hours is not a replacement for normal GP services. It is there for people with serious problems that require urgent treatment. You should only use this service if you are suddenly ill and cannot wait until your GP surgery opens.

Hospital Discharge

We would ask  patients and their families for their co-operation when being discharged home or into a community care setting.

A prolonged stay in hospital carries risk. Some patients may develop a hospital-acquired infection and can risk losing their mobility and independence all of which will significantly impact their  long-term recovery.

It is important that your discharge home, or transfer to immediate care services is arranged as speedily as possible. This is best for your recovery and also helps ensure that beds in acute hospitals are available for people who need emergency care.

Emergency Departments

You should only attend an emergency department if you have a medical emergency. If you or someone near you has a life-threatening medical emergency, call 999 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.