GP practices across Swindon and Wiltshire will be reducing their opening hours this bank holiday weekend but the NHS is still on hand to provide help where it’s needed.

Many practices will close at the end of the day on Friday and not reopen until the morning of Tuesday. People needing timely healthcare advice and treatment should call 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk online.

The 111 service is a one-stop-shop of health information, with trained advisers on hand to offer tailored advice and guidance based around a person’s symptoms.

For people needing emergency care, for conditions such as broken bones, heavy bleeding, chest pain and loss of consciousness, hospital accident and emergency departments across the region will be open around-the-clock during the bank holiday weekend.

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group clinical chair Dr Andrew Girdher said: “Since coronavirus became a part of everyday life in 2020, GPs in our region have adapted their ways of working so that no person in need of support or assistance has had to go without.

“And with a bank holiday ahead of us again, this same principle is being adopted to ensure that help continues to be available to those who need it.

“I know that people in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire can be resilient when they need to be, and many may not think much of waiting one extra day before seeking help, but I know from experience that delaying treatment for any urgent condition is never a good idea.

“My advice to any person waking up feeling unwell on Saturday, Sunday or Monday is to call 111 and have one of the specially-trained advisers use their professional judgement to decide if further help is needed.

“It’s a quick and easy process that could ultimately be the difference between getting something relatively small cleared up quickly and having to go to hospital later.”