LATEST NHS ADVICE

If you seek health advice, the following steps should be taken:

• Patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms are now asked to dial NHS 24 on 111, day or night, if their symptoms worsen or do not improve after seven days.

• Please do not call your GP or go to the surgery. If you require a sick note due to coronavirus, you can get this from the NHS Inform website.

• This will provide patients with a straightforward dedicated route to clinical advice and support.

• Callers to the 111 helpline will be assessed. If necessary, following this initial assessment, information will be forwarded to a local community hub in Lanarkshire staffed by clinicians from across the healthcare system. The staff at the hub will call you back. These call backs will be triaged and we thank you in advance for your patience.

• Depending on their assessment, patients may be given advice to help them continue self-isolating at home or be given an appointment to attend a local assessment centre for further treatment.

• NHS Inform’s coronavirus webpage is still the fastest way for people to get the latest health advice and information. There is also a free NHS 24 helpline for people without symptoms looking for general information on coronavirus.

• For patients who do not have any coronavirus symptoms, they should continue to telephone their GP when open and not call NHS 24.

• In the out of hours period, when displaying symptoms other than coronavirus, you should only call 111 if you need urgent assessment and cannot wait until your GP is open.