How to get an isolation note for your employer
This service, at nhs.uk, is for those who have been told to stay at home because of coronavirus and you need a note for your employer.
This service is only for people who:
- have symptoms of coronavirus and have used the 111 online coronavirus service
- have been told by a healthcare professional they have symptoms of coronavirus
- live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus
If you are not sure if you need to stay at home, get the latest NHS advice on coronavirus.
If you have to stay at home but feel well enough to work, ask your employer if you can work from home. If you can work from home, you will not need an isolation note.
You can also use this service for someone else.
Coronavirus – Latest Advice
The NHS in Cheshire and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to protect patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.
If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough and a high temperature, you are advised to stay at home for 7 days.
Please do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP practice.
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they’re at home for longer than 14 days. The most up-to-date public guidance is always online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do.
Only call 111 direct if you are advised to do so by the online service or you cannot go online.
Now is the time to quit – National No Smoking Day
Today marks National No Smoking Day, aiming to bring awareness to the dangers of this addition and highlight resources available to you to help you quit!
Every cigarette causes real harm and with quitting you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll see the benefits. You’ll breathe more easily, feel fitter, your skin will look better, your sense of taste will come back and it can improve your fertility. If you have kids, you’ll be protecting them from the risk of asthma attacks, ear infections and cancers. You could also be around £250 a month better off too – that’s £3000 a year – just think what you could spend that on!
If you are ready to take that big step and quit, you can find advice and support to help you at:
Novel Coronavirus – Important Advice for Returning Travellers
You may need to get medical advice if you’ve recently travelled to the UK from somewhere with a higher risk of coronavirus.
These places are:
- Cambodia
- China
- Hong Kong
- Iran
- Italy – only northern Italy (anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini)
- Japan
- Laos
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Tenerife – only the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel
- Thailand
- Vietnam
If you’ve been to one of these places in the last 14 days, find out what to do using the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
For more information on Coronavirus including symptoms and how it can spread visit the NHS.uk Coronavirus page.
Don’t miss the signs – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Over 7300 cases of Ovarian Cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, but do you know what signs to look out for?
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer death in women, after breast lung and bowel cancer. But the average GP will see only one case of ovarian cancer every five years.
Most women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, which makes treatment more challenging.
The current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46 per cent. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, up to 90 per cent of women would survive five years or more3. This is why early diagnosis is so important.
What to look out for
Symptoms are frequent (they usually happen more than 12 times a month) and persistent, and include:
- increased abdominal size/persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- difficulty eating/feeling full
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- needing to wee more urgently or more often
Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue.
If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, and that’s not normal for you, it’s important that you see your GP. It’s unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it’s important that you get checked.
For further information, visit the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month website.
Signs and Symptoms to look out for as soap character is diagnosed with Bowel Cancer
Any Emmerdale fans will have seen that one of their beloved characters, Vanessa Woodfield, has recently, as part of her storyline, been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Storylines like these are a great way to raise awareness and highlight such important conditions, how they are diagnosed and how they are treated. However, it can also worry/panic some people, so below are the signs and symptoms you should look out for.
Bowel cancer is very treatable but the earlier its diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.
Symptoms can include:
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom or blood in your bowel movements (poo). Bright red blood may come from swollen blood vessels (haemorrhoids or piles) in your back passage. It may also be caused by bowel cancer. Dark red or black blood may come from your bowel or stomach. Tell your doctor about any bleeding so they can find out what is causing it.
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
Tell your GP if you have noticed any persistent and unexplained changes in your bowel habit, especially if you also have bleeding from your back passage. You may have looser poo and you may need to poo more often than normal. Or you may feel as though you’re not going to the toilet often enough or you might not feel as though you’re not fully emptying your bowels.
- Unexplained weight loss
This is less common than some of the other symptoms. Speak to your GP if you have lost weight and you don’t know why. You may not feel like eating if you feel sick, bloated or if you just don’t feel hungry.
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
Bowel cancer may lead to a lack of iron in the body, which can cause anaemia (lack of red blood cells). If you have anaemia, you are likely to feel very tired and your skin may look pale.
- A pain or lump in your tummy
You may have pain or a lump in your stomach area (abdomen) or back passage. See your GP if these symptoms don’t go away or if they’re affecting how you sleep or eat.
Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer, there are many other health problems that can cause similar symptoms such as piles, constipation, anal fissures or IBS.
If you have any symptoms, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them – book an appointment with your GP.
For more information and advice visit Bowel Cancer UK.
Is your child too unwell for school/nursery?
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school or nursery when they’re unwell. Most schools and nurseries have their own guidelines on this and how long a child should stay off after being unwell but there is a useful guide available.
Some of the illness outlined in the Government Guidelines are as follows:
| Illness | Government Guidance |
| Chickenpox | You should keep children off school/nursery until all the spots have crusted over – this is typically about 5 days after the first spots appear. |
| Coldsore | There is no need to keep your child off school/nursery. |
| Conjunctivitis | There is no need to keep your child off school/nursery. |
| Ear infection | If your child has an ear infection and a fever or severe ear ache, its best to keep them off school/nursery until their fever goes away and their feeling better. |
| Fever | Keep them off school/nursery until the fever goes away. |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school/nursery, there’s no need to keep them off |
| Head lice and nits | There is no need to keep your child off school/nursery. |
| Impetigo | They will need antibiotic treatment from the GP and should be kept off school/nursery until the sores have crusted over and healed or for 48 hours after they start antibiotics. |
| Ringworm | There is no need to keep your child off school/nursery, once they have started treatment. |
| Scarlet fever | They will need antibiotics from the GP but can go back to school/nursery after starting them. |
| Slapped cheek syndrome | You do not need to keep your child off school/nursery because once the rash has appeared they are no longer infectious. |
| Sore Throat | Your child can still attend school/nursery however, if they have a fever they should stay at home under it goes away. |
| Threadworms | There is no need to keep your child off school/nursery. |
| Vomiting & Diarrhoea | Children should be kept off school/nursery for 2 days after their symptoms have cleared up. |
*Please be aware that schools and nurseries rules on the above may vary, so its best to check with them if you are unsure.
Eye Health Awareness Week is the perfect time to book your eye test!
Regular eye tests are important, not only will the optometrist tell you if you require glasses or have a change in prescription, but they will also carry out eye health checks to spot any early signs of eye conditions before they become a problem.
Optometrists are highly trained and can recognise abnormalities and conditions that could be causing eye problems. They will prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses, and, if necessary, they will refer you to a GP or a hospital eye clinic for further investigations.
The NHS recommend you get an eye test every two years (more often if advised by your ophthalmic practitioner or optometrist).
An NHS sight (eye) test is free of charge if you are in one of the eligible groups and your sight test is considered clinically necessary. If the ophthalmic practitioner can’t see a clinical need then you’ll have to pay for the test privately. For more information take a look at free NHS sight tests and optical vouchers.
How can I tell if my child is having issues with their eyes?
Children often do not complain about their sight, but they may show signs of being unable to see properly such as:
- Sitting closer to the TV
- Holding objects very close to their face
- Blinking a lot
- Eye rubbing
- One eye turning in or out
If you think your child has any sort of sight problem, book and appointment at the opticians for further investigation. Children so not have to be able to read letters to have their eyes tested.
Children under 16 years of age or 16, 17 or 18 year olds in full time education are entitled to free NHS eye examinations.
You can find your local opticians by visiting NHS Choices.
EU Exit advice for patients
We have heard from many of our patients with questions around their health and care as a consequence of an EU Exit.
The best source of information can be found on www.nhs.uk. This website will be updated on a regular basis.
Information for patients regarding medicines
Please keep ordering your repeat prescriptions and taking your medicines as normal. It’s very important you don’t order more medicines than normal. If you do, then it may mean that other people won’t be able to get their medicines.
Further information is available on www.NHS.uk