Which service do you need?

Minor issues such as sore throats, cuts and grazes, headaches, coughs and colds, diarrhoea and sickness bugs can be treated at home. 

The NHS website provides lots of advice on conditions, symptoms, treating illnesses and injuries as well as when to seek further support. Visit the health A – Z section at www.nhs.uk.

Keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet with essential medicines such as painkillers, upset stomach relievers, antihistamines, plasters and bandages will help you be prepared to look after yourself and your loved ones if you do need to treat any injury or illness. 

Common ailments can typically last for between one and three weeks – for example, a sore throat can last one week; a cold one-and-a-half weeks; and a cough three weeks. If you are unsure, or you have questions about what you can have at home to treat you and your family, visit your local pharmacist for free, effective advice and support.

For information on:

• Common childhood illnesses, symptoms and advice on what 'red-flag' signs to look out for
• Mental Health support and services
• Where to seek help if required
• Advice on whether your child to go to school or nursery and more

Visit the Healthier Together website or download the Frimley Healthier Together App, which have been developed in partnership between parents and healthcare professionals from across Frimley and Wexham Park. 

The resources available are used not only by parents but also by healthcare professionals. This means that your child is likely to receive consistently high-quality care, irrespective of which healthcare provider you take them to see. And their advice is likely to mirror that on the Healthier Together website. 

Your community pharmacy team offer a wide range of services, they can provide expert clinical advice for minor health concerns, and help with many common illnesses, in some cases providing treatment if required.

Most local pharmacies have private consultation rooms where your pharmacist can talk to you confidentially.

Visit your local Pharmacy for: 

• Help with minor health concerns and illnesses such as sore throats, coughs, colds, tummy troubles, aches and pains, conjunctivitis. 
• Advice about over-the-counter medications and healthy living support 
• Regular repeat prescriptions
• Starting a new prescription - New Medicine Service (NMS)
• Disposal of unwanted medicines
• A NHS blood pressure check if you are aged over 40
• Contraceptive services

You can visit, or be referred to, your local Pharmacy for advice and treatment if needed on the following 7 conditions: 

• Shingles - 18 years and over
• Sore throat - 5 years and over
• Infected insect bites - 1 year and over
• Earaches in children 1 to 17 years
• Sinusitis - 12 years and over
• Impetigo - 1 year and over
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in women 16 to 64 years

Please note that in some cases, those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, immunocompromised or who have recurring problems may not be eligible for treatment at a pharmacy.

Other services that may be available at your local pharmacy:

• emergency and oral contraception
• asthma inhaler use and advice
• chlamydia screening and treatment
• stop smoking service
• substance misuse service, including needle and syringe exchange schemes
• weight management service
• flu and COVID-19 vaccinations

Please visit our Community Pharmacy page to learn more about the services above.

You can find your local pharmacy by using the NHS pharmacy finder.

If you need urgent medical help right now, it is not a life-threatening emergency, but you are unsure of which service you need, contact NHS 111 online, in the NHS App or by calling 111. You will be directed to the best place to get help.

NHS 111 online and the App can help with: 

• Health enquiries relating to people aged 5 and over
• Emergency supply of regularly prescribed medication (for any age) 
• Dental Problems - help finding a dentist, or an emergency dentist if there is availability in your area.

Call 111 if: 

• need help for a child under 5
• have complex problems caused by an existing medical condition
• have a care plan from your doctor for your current health problem
• need to get end-of-life care

111 cannot:

• issue fit notes – you need to contact your GP
• make or cancel appointments for you in other parts of the NHS

NHS Dental services

A dentist can provide advice and treatment to look after your teeth and gums and regular check-ups help to see if you have any dental problems. Your dentist can also carry out treatment such as fillings or root canal treatment, if you need it.

You can search for an NHS dentist near you on the NHS website.

Please bear in mind Dental surgeries will not always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients and you may have to check a surgery's website on a regular basis. You may alternatively have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who is taking on new NHS patients, or be seen privately.

Some dentists provide a mixture of NHS and private care. If you are unsure what services your dentist provides, please ask the practice. All dentists have up-to-date information on the NHS services they have agreed to provide.

Once you find a dental surgery, you may have to fill in a registration form on your first visit, which is just to add you to their patient database. This does not mean you have guaranteed access to an NHS dental appointment in the future.

Need urgent dental advice? 

• First, try your usual NHS Dental practice, they should all offer some urgent care slots for any patient that contacts them. 
• Alternatively visit the NHS 111 service online or call 111 which can put you in touch with an urgent dental service.

Also see separate Urgent dental care section below.

If you have a general query – these should be directed to the NHS England Customer Contact Centre: england.contactus@nhs.net

NHS Frimley is working with dental providers to increase access to urgent dental care in Frimley.

Patients who need urgent dental treatment and have not visited the practice in the last 24 months or have had urgent treatment elsewhere but still need further treatment, can be treated at specially allocated appointments which are being provided across eight different dental practices in Bracknell Forest, Slough and Surrey Heath, plus 2 Out of Hours (8am to 8pm) Dental providers in Farnborough and Aldershot.

The following dental practices are delivering the scheme and are able to take on eligible patients, from anywhere in Frimley, for specific, urgent dental work:

If you regularly visit a NHS dentist that is not on this list then you can still contact them for urgent dental care.

Who can access these additional urgent appointments?

The Additional Hours Scheme is for patients who are not already registered with a practice and have not attended in the last 24 months and:

• Have urgent dental need or;
• Have only received temporary care and require further treatment to stabilise their oral health.

In addition, the following categories of patients can be seen, whether or not they have been to the practice previously:

• People who are clinically vulnerable and need a dental assessment or treatment to enable them to receive medical or surgical care, such as cardiac patients, cancer patients and people who are immunosuppressed.
• Looked after Children.
• a patient who has been referred for Orthodontic treatment by a practice that has since ended its NHS contract and who requires extraction before orthodontic treatment can commence.
• Care home residents who are able to travel to a dental practice, for a check up or assessment and subsequent course of treatment if they need it.
• Expectant and Nursing Mothers
• Armed Forces family members
• Homeless patients
• Asylum Seekers/Refugees

Please note: Standard NHS dental charges apply

How can I access these additional urgent appointments?

Eligible patients can contact the practice directly using the phone numbers given above to access the urgent appointments, or can be directed by NHS 111.

Finding a Dentist – for non-urgent appointments

To find a Dentist that is open for New Patients, please use the NHS Find a dentist tool and search in your area.

If you live in Bracknell Forest, Slough, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, North East Hampshire, Farnham and Surrey Heath you can visit the Bracknell Urgent Care Centre - One Medical Group in Bracknell for:

• sprains and strains
• suspected broken bones or fractures
• minor head injuries
• cuts and grazes
• minor scalds and burns
• infected wounds

People can be seen through its walk-in service or with a booked appointment by contacting 111 online or on the phone. 

Opening hours: The service is available 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm (including bank holidays).

An X-ray service is also available Sunday - Friday 8am - 8pm

Location:

Bracknell Urgent Care Centre
London Road
Bracknell
Reading
RG12 9RT

Phone:

01344 551100

Residents of Slough can visit the Slough Urgent Care Centre for minor illnesses needing same-day care such as: 

• chest infections
• skin infections
• urinary tract infections

The service can be accessed Monday to Sunday from 8am – 8pm:

• By calling your GP practice (patients must be registered with a Slough GP practice)
• Through NHS 111 online or by telephone (any patient)
• Walk in and be given a booked appointment (option to sit and wait or come back at the appointment time)
• You may also be redirected to this service if you attend A&E

Location:

3 Priors Close
Slough 
Berkshire
SL1 2BQ

Booking in advance is strongly recommended to avoid a long wait. We aim to see patients with a booked appointment within 30 minutes of the appointment time, but those with urgent clinical needs will be prioritised.

For a list of mental health services and support available to you visit our Mental Wellbeing page. 

For a mental health crisis or emergency:

• get help from 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option. 111 will tell you the right place to get help and you may be able to speak to a trained mental health professional over the phone.

Alternatively, you can:

• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours

Call 999 or go to A&E now if: 

• someone's life is at risk – for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
• you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe

GP practices across Frimley Health and Care, carry out hundreds of thousands of appointments every month. Your GP practice team is there to support you with:

• Routine needs (such as health checks, screening and vaccinations)
• Same day urgent needs, persistent symptoms (that have lasted a few days or a cough that's lasted more than three weeks)
• And ongoing health conditions. 

Before you contact yours, consider if there is a more suitable alternative such as visiting your local pharmacy for advice, guidance and over the counter medications.

You will find opening hours on your practice website and to make an appointment you can get in touch, online, by phone or in person. To make sure people can get access to care safely and quickly, practices aim to deliver a range of different ways of having an appointment, providing you with more choice and more convenience. You may be booked an appointment with more appropriate service for your need or a location different to your usual practice site. 

If you need medical help and your GP practice is closed or you're not sure where to go and it is not a life-threatening emergency, contact the 111 service online or call 111. The NHS 111 service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical emergency you/they should still attend an Emergency Department or call 999.

A&E and Emergency Departments are for life-saving emergencies only.

This can include:

• loss of consciousness
• an acute confused state
• fits that are not stopping
• chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
• severe allergic reactions
• severe burns or scalds
• overdosed

Call 999 immediately if you or someone else is having a heart attack or stroke.

Also call 999 if:

• you think someone has had a major trauma, such as after a serious road traffic accident, a stabbing, a shooting, a fall from height, or a serious head injury.
• someone's life is at risk – for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
• you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe

If you are unsure, call NHS 111, go online or use the NHS App

Having regular eye tests is an important way to check your vision and the health of your eyes.

Visit https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians to find out more about opticians, eye tests and how to find an optician near you.

Optician services are commissioned by NHS England.

Eye issues: 

If you have an irritated eye visit your local pharmacy for advice and guidance. 

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

• you've injured your eye and it is not getting better after 24 hours
• you're worried about an eye injury

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

You could also visit an opticians for advice.

Go to A&E or call 999 if:

• a strong chemical, such as oven cleaner or bleach, is in your eye – keep rinsing your eye with water while waiting for medical help
• a sharp object has pierced your eye
• something has hit your eye at high speed – for example, while using power tools or mowing the lawn
• there are any changes to your sight after an eye injury
• you have a headache, high temperature or sensitivity to light
• you're feeling sick or being sick after an eye injury
• you cannot move your eye or keep it open
• blood or pus is coming from your eye

For more information on where to go for eye issues visit nhs.uk.