There is a huge range of health services in east and north Hertfordshire but people don't always know where to go when they fall ill.

We want to give you the information about the health services available and what they offer so that you can make the right choice for you.  At the same time people want to know more about what they can do to look after their families’ and their own health.

Using the right health services is not only good for individuals but helps the NHS as a whole by making sure resources are used in the right way.

Feeling unwell?

You've got a cold...do you pop to your local chemist and buy a pack of paracetamol or do you make an appointment to see your GP?

You've twisted your ankle...do you spend 4 hours in A&E or do you go to a minor injuries unit and be seen and treated within an hour?

Rule of thumb on what to do or where to go

- For colds and flu it is best to rest, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and take painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin.
- For 24-hour health advice ring NHS 111.
- You can also see a GP or other health professional at:

- Urgent Care Centre, QEII Hospital, Howlands, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4HQ 24/7

- If your GP surgery is closed, you can use the out of hours service by calling NHS 111.
- In a life-threatening emergency dial 999 or go to A&E.

Self-care

Self-care is the best choice to treat very minor illnesses and injuries. For conditions like backache, earache, coughs and colds, you are best off looking after yourself to begin with then seeking help if your condition doesn't improve.

Be prepared - keep a well stocked medicine cabinet
You can be prepared for most common illnesses and ailments by keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet at home. You can buy all the items you need from your local pharmacist or supermarket often at very little cost. You probably won’t need to keep all these items in your medicine cabinet “just in case” but you may want to include a selection of those you use most often.

We have produced a number of information sheets on how to take care of yourself for a number of common ailments.

Bath Oils for Dry Skin Conditions	Moisturisers
Constipation	Muscle sprains and strains
Diarrhoea	Pain
Hay Fever

Ask your pharmacist

Visit your pharmacist (chemist) for advice on medicines or when you are suffering from common ailments that don't need to be seen by a nurse or doctor, such as coughs, colds, aches, pains and indigestion. More information on how your pharmacist can help is available on the Ask Your Pharmacist website from the National Pharmacy Association. Your local pharmacy can be found on the NHS website.

In Hertfordshire we have several pharmacies that are open for long hours, 7 days a week, including bank holidays. 

NHS 111

NHS111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

 Call NHS111 if

• You need medical help fast but it’s not an emergency
• You don’t have a GP
• You need to access a GP but your surgery is closed
• You don’t know who to call
• You need health information or reassurance about what to do next

When you call NHS111, a team of fully trained healthcare advisors supported by clinical advisors is here to help you.

They will ask you questions to assess you and can also give you fast and easy access to a range of clinical staff if required, including GPs, nurses and prescribing pharmacists.

NHS111 can then direct you further to the local service which can help you best. This could be an Out of Hours doctor, a late-opening pharmacy or an urgent care centre.

Benefits of calling NHS111 when your GP is closed

• Get advice from a wide range of healthcare professionals including GPs, nurses,  pharmacists, dentists and mental health staff
• No unnecessary travel
• No time spent waiting at A&E if your condition could be better treated elsewhere
• Your GP will receive a report of the service we provided for their records if you are happy for us to do so, making sure they are aware of any special help you might need
• Different healthcare services and providers are now connected, making it easier for you to get the help you need
• If you have complex needs, you could be given quicker access to the help you require
• You will be cared for in the right place for your health needs, ensuring you receive the right care for your condition

The service is also now online.

For more information visit www.nhs.uk/111.

GP services

If you have an illness that just won't go away make an appointment to see your GP or practice nurse or speak to them on the phone.

Many GPs in Hertfordshire now regularly open for longer and offer early morning, late evening or Saturday morning appointments for those people who find it difficult to get to their GP during usual opening hours. 

Ask your practice manager for details or visit www.nhs.uk.

Anyone can register with a GP surgery. You do not need proof of address or immigration status. You can download a GP access card here.

If you are not registered, there are instructions on how to do so here: REGISTER WITH A GP.

Minor Injuries (MIU)

Minor injuries units can treat injuries like sprains, cuts, grazes, bites, stings, burns and scalds.

Cheshunt Community Hospital
King Arthur Court
Cheshunt
EN8 8XN

Open: 8am to 8pm, every day - last registration 7.30pm
X-ray facilities are available for minor injuries, but there is no facility to manage requests from GPs.
www.cheshuntmiu.nhs.uk
Can see adults and children aged one and over.

Herts and Essex Hospital
Haymeads Lane
Bishop’s Stortford
CM23 5JH

Open Monday to Friday 9am – last registration 4.30pm
Closed weekends and bank holidays
Phone: 01279 655191 ext 4298
Can see adults and children aged two and over.

St Albans City Hospital - TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS PART OF COVID-19 RESPONSE
Waverley Road
St Albans
AL3 5PN

01727 897182
Open 9am – 8pm, every day
X-rays 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday

Urgent Care Centre (UCC)

AUrgent Care Centre for minor injuries and minor illnesses is now available at the New QEII Hospital, Welwyn Garden City.  No appointment is necessary and is open 24 hours every day, including weekends and bank holidays.

For the time being, the urgent care centre will not be able to see children between the hours of midnight and 8am.

Instead, parents can call NHS 111 which will direct you to the right service.            

Adults who have a minor illness overnight should also call NHS 111 to receive advice or be directed to the most appropriate local service.

Minor illnesses which would normally be treated by a GP, but which can’t wait until your GP practice is next open.

New QEII Hospital
Howlands
Welwyn Garden City
AL7 4HQ

Daytime walk-in services - 8am to 10pm

Doctors and nurses available. Can treat:

• Minor illness
• Muscle and joint injuries, such as sprains 
• Bites, stings, cuts, bruises and grazes
• Burns and scalds
• Objects stuck in ears or noses
• Minor eye injuries
• Suspected fractures and broken bones
• Minor head injuries

Overnight walk-in services - 10pm to 8am

 

The New QEII Hospital Urgent Care Centre for minor illnesses and injuries in Welwyn Garden City will close its doors to new patients at 10pm every day. It will re-open at 8am every morning.
This is to allow clinical staff to be redeployed to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, where an increasing number of patients are being treated for COVID-19. This is a temporary measure, which will be reviewed on a weekly basis.

You can see a GP at the UCC after midnight with an appointment. If you think you need you or a child urgently needs to see a GP, please call NHS 111.There is also an Urgent Treatment Centre at Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead Hospital
Hillfield Road
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 4AD

Open 8am - 10pm, every day

A&E

A&E is for life-threatening situations such as a heart attack or stroke and for the care of people who show the symptoms of serious illness or who are badly injured. In an emergency dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Norovirus (vomiting bug)

If you have norovirus - also known as the winter vomiting bug - please don't visit relatives in hospital as it spreads easily and can make patients very poorly. This short video explains more...