Parents and carers can find out how to treat and help prevent pesky bugs from making their little ones poorly this winter on two local NHS trust online hubs.
The winter wellness hubs, hosted on the Health for Kids and Health for Under 5s websites, include a wealth of age-appropriate advice and information which has been pulled together by health professionals from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) and Leicester Hospitals.
With coughs, colds and tummy bugs on the rise at this time of the year, parents and carers can check how to treat illnesses at home, when and where to go for help and tips to help keep their kids healthy over the holidays.
The hubs include targeted articles on all major winter ailments, such as:
- Asthma
- Flu
- Head injuries
- Infections in babies
- Norovirus and stomach bugs
- Protecting against measles
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and bronchiolitis
- Winter safety – and much more.
All the content has been put together by trusted NHS health professionals, including doctors and nurses, and contains advice on how to access local support.
To visit the hubs go to:
- https://lptnhs.com/WinterWellness0-5 for advice for babies and young children under 5 years old and
- https://lptnhs.com/KidsWinterWellness for advice for primary school aged children.
Sam Leak, LPT’s executive director of community health services and interim executive director of families, children, young people and learning disability and autism services said: “We know how worrying it can be when little ones become ill. We hope the winter wellness hubs will help parents and carers to easily find the advice they need – and to feel confident about when to seek further medical help if it’s needed.
“It’s a really busy time of year in GP practices and hospitals. We wanted a way to bring our health knowledge to homes and phones to prevent parents and carers from making any unnecessary journeys, while still feeling reassured about what steps to take to help their child.
“There are so many things families can do to reduce the likelihood of anyone getting poorly; things like prioritising vaccinations, adopting healthy habits like eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep, and encouraging good hand hygiene all help.”
Top tips for children’s winter wellness
To help parents and carers get prepared, we have put together our top winter wellness tips:
- Make sure you have self-care essentials at home: We recommend: a thermometer, plasters, child-friendly paracetamol and ibuprofen, antiseptic cream, an ice-pack and antihistamines. Store medicines in a cool, dry, lockable cabinet, out of reach of children and always check the dates on medicines.
- Know where is best to get help: There are lots of places you can get help for illness and injury locally. If you need extra advice or reassurance for treating minor ailments at home with self-care, use the winter wellness hubs or the NHS website.
If home treatment isn’t effective and you need more support, you can speak to your local pharmacist. They can help with illnesses such as bad coughs and colds, earache and diarrhoea. You can also call The Healthy Together Helpline on 0300 300 3001 for advice from a health visitor or school nurse. Calls are answered from 9am – 4.30pm on weekdays, excluding bank holidays.
If your child is ill and symptoms don’t improve with at home-treatment – or you are worried about a health issue, contact your GP. Call NHS 111 if your GP practice is closed or you need help with an urgent medical support. They’ll help book the right appointment for you.
If there is a life or limb-threatening emergency go straight to A&E or call 999 if a life is in danger.
- Get your kids immunised: Ensuring your child is up to date with immunisations helps to protect them against illnesses such as measles, meningitis, whooping cough, RSV and flu. Vaccines can be given in specialist clinics, at GP practices or, in some cases, at school. The School Aged Immunisation Service is currently offering all children and young people in primary, secondary and special schools a free flu vaccine – details have been sent to directly to parents and carers. For more information about local vaccination go to: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/vaccinations/
It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child have missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
- Clean hands and bin tissues: Regular handwashing and using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes helps to prevent the spread of germs. Make sure tissues are binned after use.
- Healthy lifestyle habits: Eating a healthy, balanced diet, taking part in regular exercise, and getting sufficient sleep are the best ways to keep all the family healthy.