26 April 2022

The next Borders public holiday is Monday 2 May 2022

Community Pharmacies

In preparation for the upcoming public holiday on Monday 2 May 2022 please check your repeat prescription and order only what you need, in plenty of time.

On the public holiday, some community pharmacies will be open.

Community Pharmacists can provide you with expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and ailments, and give advice about your medicines.

Please be considerate when attending your local pharmacy: if you have been told to self-isolate or if you have symptoms of coronavirus please do not go into the pharmacy yourself but stay at home and make arrangements for either someone else to pick up your medication or ask your pharmacy to have your prescription delivered to your home, as you may unintentionally be putting yourself, Pharmacy staff and others at unnecessary risk.

Most Health Centres and GP Practices in the Borders will be closed for the public holiday on Monday 2 May 2022.

The following practices will be open:

  • Coldstream – Coldstream Medical Practice
  • Galashiels - Roxburgh Street Medical Practice
  • Kelso – Kelso Medical Practice
  • Lauder - Stow & Lauder Medical Practice
  • Stow - Stow & Lauder Medical Practice

Please help us to keep you and our NHS safe by using our services wisely and seeking the right care at the right place.

If you need health advice or treatment for non-life threatening conditions, please call your GP surgery during opening times or NHS 24 on 111, day or night if the practice is closed.

NHS 24 will assess you by telephone and refer you to the right care at the right place. This could include self-care, community pharmacy or referral into the flow centre at the BGH for a clinical assessment. This will avoid you having to make any unnecessary trips to hospital and it also ensures that our specialists in the Emergency Department are available to treat people who require emergency medical care for life threatening conditions.

If it is an emergency you should still call 999 as you did before or come to the Emergency Department, where our team will be able provide you with emergency medical care.

What to do if you have symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you have coronavirus symptoms, self-isolate and book a PCR test. Do not go to your GP, pharmacy or hospital.

You should stay at home until you get the result of the test, and then follow the advice you will be given based on the result.

Read:

The most common symptoms of Covid-19 are:

• continuous cough
• fever / high temperature (37.8C or greater)
• loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

A new continuous cough is where you:

  • have a new cough that’s lasted for an hour
  • have had 3 or more episodes of coughing in 24 hours
  • are coughing more than usual

If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 10 days then you should speak to your GP. If your GP practice is closed call NHS 24 via 111.

If you need a sick note due to coronavirus, you don’t need to contact your GP or NHS 24. You can download a sick/isolation note directly from the NHS Inform website.