As announced by the Prime Minister on 31 October 2020, there will be a new national lockdown commencing from Thursday 05 November in response to a rise in cases of Coronavirus.
Maria Heard, Covid-19 Incident Director, Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “NHS services in Somerset are currently very busy but coping well with demand. Our dedicated staff are working very hard across all services to keep them running and make sure they remain open and here for you.
For now, please continue to attend appointments as advised. You don’t need to call us to check that a booked appointment is going ahead. We will be in touch if anything changes with your care.
“Our GP practices, urgent care services, our services that care for people at home, our mental health services and our hospitals are all very busy for the time of year. At present, we are able to continue to offer planned care and operations are continuing without cancellations.
“But we do need your help to keep everyone as well and safe as possible and to keep our services running well.”
If you are experiencing coronavirus symptoms, please use the government portal to book a test. It is important that you and anyone you live with continue to self-isolate until you get a test result. You can find more information, support and guidance on testing here.
- Think Hands, Face, Space – washing your hands regularly, using a face mask in areas where social distancing is difficult, and keeping 2 metres’ space between you and others will all help to reduce the spread of the virus.
- If you have a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss of or change to your sense of smell or taste, you must self-isolate and book a test at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119
- If you need medical help, please contact your registered GP practice or 111. Support can be accessed online at 111.nhs.uk or you can call 111 for free form your landline or phone.
- The Somerset Mindline is open 24 hours a day for mental health and emotional wellbeing support: 01823 276 892.
- Please only call 999 in the event of a medical emergency.
- For emergencies and life-threatening injuries please use our A&E departments as needed.
- For minor injuries, our seven Minor Injury Units are open – you can find the locations and opening hours at https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/minor-injury-units/ . For minor illnesses, please contact your GP practice or visit your local pharmacy.
- If you are self-isolating or require additional support, contact Somerset Coronavirus helpline on 0300 790 6275 to be put in touch with local groups who can help with fetching shopping, medication and other essentials supplies, as well as other mutual aid. The helpline is open 7 days a week between 8am and 6pm.
