Advice: stay safe and stock up...

OLDHAM residents are being urged to keep safe and stock up on medical essentials as wintry weather is forecast for the country all this week.

Icy roads and freezing temperatures could see some people stuck at home, while NHS hospitals are preparing for high numbers of injuries due to slips, trips and falls.

Shauna Dixon, director of clinical leadership for NHS Oldham, said: “It is vital that patients use NHS services wisely and only use services when they need them.

“We need to make sure that A&E services are free to deal with patients who have serious and life-threatening illnesses, such as heart attacks, strokes and serious injuries.

“Stocking up on some essentials that can help people and their families to cope with common complaints such as colds, coughs, stomach upsets, flu and earache, will mean they are better prepared.”

Residents are advised to:

::Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for temperatures caused by coughs, cold and flu.

::Take paracetamol to ease pain from complaints such as earache, stomach ache, sore throats and sprains.

::Stock up on anti-diarrhoea and re-hydration mixtures for adults with upset stomachs.

::Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.

NHS Oldham and NHS organisations across the North-West are running the Choose Well campaign which aims to reduce the number of people who go to A&E when they don’t need to.

Oldham patients are also being reminded about the change to night-time opening hours at the NHS Oldham’s Urgent Care Centre from tomorrow.

Action
The facility, on the ground floor of the Integrated Care Centre, has been open overnight to walk-in patients for the past 12 months but was averaging just four patients with minor issues each night.

The centre will therefore only be open from 7am to 11pm for walk-in patients, without an appointment, and the move will save £528,000 over a year.

Anyone with health concerns after 11pm should call the out-of-hours service GO To DOC on 0161-336 3252, who will assess them and decide on the best course of action.


Prepare now for travel disruption
PASSENGERS using public transport across Greater Manchester are being encouraged to plan ahead for the winter months.

The region experienced the coldest winter for a generation last year with all forms of transport affected by several days of heavy snowfall and freezing conditions. Councillor Ian Macdonald, chairman of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, said: “The darker nights are here and we have already seen freezing conditions hit the region — so now is a good time for people to consider their travel options.

“No-one expected the weather we had last winter to be so severe and there is no escaping the fact that the vast majority of travel plans were affected for several days as a result.

“So I would encourage everyone to plan ahead now by thinking about how they travel and what their alternative options are, so they are as prepared as they can be if we do experience any disruption this winter.”

Call Traveline on 0871- 200 22 33 to plan a journey.



Icy pipes put freeze on water supply
WATER bosses have issued urgent advice to customers after several days of sub-zero temperatures caused pipes to freeze and left thousands without water.

The problem is not affecting United Utilties’ water main network — just customers’ own pipes.

United Utilities, which supplies water to seven million people in Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater If you have no water, check whether the problem is affecting your neighbours before contacting United Utilities.

A problem with the mains supply will affect large numbers of people, so if it is only you or a couple of your neighbours the most likely cause is your own frozen water pipes.

Thawing pipes can take some time but can provide a solution.

Locate the main stop tap — usually under the kitchen sink or in a utility room closest to where the water supply enters the property.

Apply a hot water bottle to the pipe or use a hairdryer in short bursts, but never use a naked flame near the pipes. Once thawed, insulated the pipes as soon as possible to stop them freezing again.

The information is also available on the United Utilities website at www.unitedutilities.com/winterhomeprotection.

CAREFUL: freezing water expands and may split pipes, which when thawed will start to leak.
Make sure you have the name of a good local plumber — and most importantly, know where to turn off your household supply.