Wiltshire Council: Keep warm and healthy this winter

Thursday, 22 December 2022 00:00

As wintery and cold conditions become more adverse and frequent, Wiltshire Council is reminding people of some of the best things they can do to stay warm and well.

Keeping warm and well can help ease the pressure on health and care services as much as possible.

Keep medicines well-stocked

The weather can change quickly, and even relatively small showers of snow or adverse weather can cause travel issues on roads. With the Christmas and bank holidays approaching, people should ensure they have a reasonable stock of personal medicine during the winter months, especially if they have to take daily medication or medication for serious illness. People should contact their pharmacy which can help them to ensure they have an adequate personal supply of their medicine. Pharmacies also provide an excellent point of contact for any non-emergency health advice that may be required.

Steps to avoid catching a cold, flu or COVID-19

Catching a cold, flu or COVID-19 can not only spoil Christmas and new year plans but leave the individual feeling run down. People should take these simple steps to best prevent catching a winter illness:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick Stay home when you are sick Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds Check eligibility for COVID-19 and flu jabs

People should make sure their vaccinations for COVID-19 and flu are up to date to reduce the likelihood of catching them or to minimise the symptoms if they do.

People can check their eligibility for vaccinations at:

Flu: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/ Covid: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/ Visit warm spaces

Wiltshire Council libraries have officially become warm spaces for people this winter, providing a warm and friendly space where people can sit down and warm up with a hot drink*. The council’s friendly library staff will be able to assist residents seeking basic energy advice and make referrals to experienced energy advisors in all but its smallest libraries. People can also pick up a Warm Pack for free, which contains a fleece blanket, hot water bottle and thermos mug. There is no eligibility requirement.

Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health for Wiltshire, said: “Winter is always a challenging time for our health and care services, so the more we can do to help ourselves, the more we can help ease the pressure that those services are under.

“If we take some simple common sense steps, then we can reduce the risk of getting poorly at a time when we want to be with our loved ones.

“I wish everyone a happy and healthy time.”

The council also has a range of support and advice on its dedicated cost of living webpages.

It contains information on council tax and benefits, energy advice, housing information, mental health support, local practical help, and support available for businesses.

The council's interactive community directory can also be found there, which contains details of other warm spaces in the county as well as community food providers. It can all be found at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living.

More health advice can be found at https://bsw.icb.nhs.uk/.