With May boasting two bank holiday weekends, people living in Birmingham and Solihull are being encouraged to make sure they know ahead of time where best to go for medical help and advice. Some GP surgeries will be closed on the two Bank Holiday Mondays - 6 May and 27 May 2019 – so it is important that patients and their families know all the options. Dr Richard Mendelsohn, a GP and NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “There are a whole range of options available to patients over both May bank holiday weekends to ensure they get the right help when they need it. “A lot of common health issues such as colds, coughs, sore throats and headaches can be treated at home just by making sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet, or you could pop down to your local pharmacist for expert advice. “Some GP practices will be offering limited GP extended access appointments on both 6 May and 27 May, however these need to be booked in advance by calling your practice as normal. There will also be out of hours’ services available if you cannot wait until your practice reopens – just call your practice as normal when it is closed and listen to the options available on the recorded message. “You can also call NHS 111 if you’re worried about an urgent medical concern, or if you’re not sure which NHS service you need. Alternatively, you can visit walk-in centres or urgent care centres.” Options during the May bank holiday weekends: • Self-care – make sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home, so you can deal with minor injuries and ailments at home • Pharmacy – your local pharmacist can give you quick, confidential advice on lots of common illnesses, as well as over-the-counter medication. Find out if your local pharmacy is open on the May bank holidays. • GP practice extended access appointments – some practices will be offering limited appointments, but these must be booked in advance through your GP practice • NHS 111 – if you’re worried about an urgent medical concern, or not sure which NHS service you need, you can either call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk online 24 hours a day, seven days a week • Walk-in centre or urgent care centre – if you have an illness or injury that cannot wait until your GP surgery is open, you can find out the opening hours of a centre on the May bank holidays.