With the August bank holiday approaching, and another period of NHS industrial action, residents in the South East are being urged to order any repeat prescriptions in good time and to use the right service for their healthcare needs.

The plea comes after The British Medical Association has announced that NHS consultants will strike for a second time this Thursday and Friday (24-25 August), just days before Bank Holiday Monday (28 August).

If you or a loved one needs medical help or advice, or you are unsure about whether to go to hospital, then please use NHS 111 online. GP services and pharmacies will also be available for patients and can be accessed in the normal way during the two-day strike action. The NHS will prioritise emergency care and people should continue to use 999 in life threatening emergencies.

If you have a pre-booked NHS appointment, then please attend as planned unless you have been contacted to say that the appointment has been rearranged.

NHS England’s South East Medical Director, Vaughan Lewis, said: “Across the region, we are bracing ourselves for additional demands on and challenges to some of our services and staff, as further industrial action is planned by consultants later this week, followed by the August Bank Holiday which is traditionally a busy time for health services.

“I would like to thank the public for their on-going support and patience during these times and would ask that they continue to help the NHS by choosing services appropriately, including using 111 online as the first port of call for health needs, and only using 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

He added: “If you or a loved one feels unwell over the bank holiday, or during the upcoming industrial action, you can check your symptoms and get access to advice at www.111.nhs.uk

“NHS 111 is a free service which runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

People are being reminded that over the course of the Bank Holiday Monday, many pharmacies will have limited opening hours making it more difficult for patients to access medicines at short notice. Therefore, please check with your pharmacy or GP practice how much notice they need to issue a prescription.

The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is by using GP online services, via the NHS App or through your GP practice website. If you do not have access to GP online services, you can phone your GP practice to order prescriptions.

The NHS App allows you to access a range of NHS services. You can download the NHS App on your phone or tablet. You can also access the same services in a web browser by logging in through the NHS website.