Public urged to make use of GPs and pharmacies if needed as services forgo May holidays

Following the recent announcement that GP services and community pharmacies will remain open during the May public holidays, Scotland’s health secretary Jeane Freeman has reminded the public that they should seek medical advice if they need it, whether it is coronavirus-related or not.

She explained: “It is very important to stress that our NHS is open, so if you have non-COVID-19-related health concerns you should always contact your GP if you have any worries.

“To help with that we’ve asked our GPs and community pharmacies to remain open so that people can continue to access those local primary care services over the May public holidays.

“If you do have COVID-19 symptoms that are worsening, or haven’t improved after seven days, you should phone NHS 24 on 111 any time of the day or night.

“Our health and social care staff are already working incredibly hard to look after people during this pandemic, and I want to thank each and every one of them for their ongoing commitment and dedication during this unprecedented time.”