Self-care

It can be a worrying time for parents and carers when a child is unwell, but most minor childhood illnesses can be treated at home. The NHS has this information about looking after a sick child. Keeping a well-stocked medicines cabinet and first aid kit can help you treat your child's minor illnesses and injuries (see below for further information).

If you are unsure if your child should go to school or nursery when they are unwell, please see this information on the Healthier Together website for guidance.

If you feel that you do need medical advice, your local pharmacy would be a good place to start. The pharmacist will be able to recommend suitable treatments, and they'll tell you if your child needs to see a GP.

If you think your child is seriously unwell, call 111 for advice. If you are extremely worried call 999 for an ambulance or take them straight to the A&E department of your local hospital.

There’s a wide range of self-care medication available in pharmacies, shops and supermarkets. These can be used to treat common ailments and save you the trouble of a GP appointment. As with all medicines, always read the label to make sure they are suitable for you and keep them out of the reach of children. If you are unsure if a medicine is suitable for you to take, or if you need advice, talk to your pharmacist.

Great Ormond Street Hospital has published this guidance for keeping a well-stocked but safe medicines cabinet at home. It’s a good idea to check your medicine cabinet regularly so you can replace any medicines that are out of date and therefore unsafe to use. If you have any medicines that are out of date, you should not put them in the bin, down the toilet or down the sink. This causes damage to the environment as medicines end up where they shouldn’t be - in the ground and in the water. This can be harmful to nature and to humans.   

All medicines, whether tablets, liquids like paracetamol or eye drops, inhalers or creams, should be returned to your pharmacy if you don’t need or want them anymore, or if they are out of date. Your pharmacy will dispose of them safely. 

Make sure you have any other medications you need
If you take a prescribed medicine, or need to take an over-the-counter medicine regularly, make sure you have those medicines ahead of a bank holiday. Your GP practice and local pharmacy may close or have different opening times on bank holidays so it’s important to have what you need in your medicines cabinet.

First aid is immediate medical help given to an ill or injured person. First aid can prevent conditions from worsening. If the person needs professional help, first aid can stabilise their condition until they get the help they need. The NHS has this First aid guidance that explains what to do if someone is ill or injured.

Keeping a well-stocked first aid kit can help you treat minor injuries, sprains and bruises at home, and reduce the risk of cuts becoming infected. A small amount of money spent on the contents of a first aid kit can make a big difference when treating injuries at home. It’s a good idea to have the following items in your first aid kit.

• Alcohol-based hand sanitiser – to clean hands and kill germs before treating an injury.
• Antiseptic – this can be used to clean cuts before they’re bandaged. Most antiseptics can treat insect stings, ulcers and spots.
• Bandages – to support sprained and injured limbs, and to apply direct pressure to larger cuts before being treated in hospital.
• Eyewash solution – to wash out grit or dirt in the eyes.
• Medical tape – to hold dressings in place or to hold the loose end of bandages. Medical tape can also be used to tape an injured finger to an uninjured one, creating a makeshift splint.
• Plasters – a range of sizes, waterproof if possible.
• Scissors - used to cut bandages or medical tape, or to cut someone’s clothing if you need to get to a wound.
• Sterile dressings – to dress larger injuries to prevent infection until treatment can be given by a healthcare professional.
• Thermometer – digital thermometers give accurate readings. Under-arm or ear thermometers are good ways to read the temperature of a baby or young child.
• Tweezers – for taking out splinters (if left in the skin they can cause pain and infection).

If you have a health condition, illness or injury that cannot be treated at home then it's important to choose the right service. This will make sure you get the best treatment as quickly as possible. The Together We Can home page has information about the different healthcare services available across West Yorkshire. This includes accident and emergency (A&E) departments, walk-in centres, GP services and pharmacies. It explains what services are offered and how to access them. If you're unsure of where to go for help, start with NHS 111 online.

Looking after our mental health and wellbeing is important. Many people feel lonely or fed up at times. There are things you can do when trying to overcome it. The key is realising how you feel and finding the best strategy for you. You can try to boost your mood by sharing your worries and keeping connected with friends and your local community. Visit the Together We Can mental health page for more information.

For urgent help in a mental health crisis call NHS 111, option 2 for 24-hour support.

Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of major illnesses such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer. It can lower your risk of early death by up to 30 percent. Physical activity is also great for your mental health. Research shows that physical activity can boost self-esteem, improve mood and reduce your risk of stress.

To stay healthy, adults should try to be active for at least two and a half hours over a week. For most people, the easiest way to be more active is to make physical activity part of everyday life. You could walk more, cycle instead of using the car, take the stairs instead of the lift or find a sport or exercise that you enjoy.

The NHS has this information about the health benefits of exercise.

It’s important to look after our health and it’s never too late to switch to a healthier lifestyle. The NHS has this advice about healthy living. It includes guidance on ways you can have a healthy lifestyle including eating well, stopping smoking and drinking less alcohol.

Screening is a way of finding out early if you have a health issue, often before you experience any symptoms. Different screenings you may be offered include cervical screening, breast screening and bowel cancer screening. There are also several screening tests offered in pregnancy. And screening test for specific health conditions such as diabetic eye screening. Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective. The NHS has this information about screening.

Vaccinations help protect people of all ages from many serious and potentially deadly diseases. Most people will have several different vaccinations throughout their lives, from being a young baby right through to old age. The most common ones for adults are COVID-19, flu, shingles and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). All vaccines are thoroughly tested to make sure they will not cause harm. It often takes many years for a vaccine to make it through the trials and tests it needs to pass for approval.

Please visit the Vaccines and immunisations page which explains how vaccinations work and aims to answer your questions about each type of vaccination.

If you are invited for a screening test, or to have a vaccination, please do take up the offer if you can and help yourself stay well.

Never underestimate the power of a small act of kindness. No-matter how small the act, you will make a difference to someone’s day - maybe even your own. Let’s look out for each other because loneliness can happen to anyone at any time. And if you’re feeling lonely, try to reach out and connect with family and friends.