A local pharmacist is urging people to act early and arrange their repeat prescriptions before it is too late.

Juliet Mungai-Kimani, a local pharmacist at Brook Hill Pharmacy, Little Waltham in Chelmsford, says that their pharmacy sees a last-minute rush leading up to the festive season.

Many people try to sort out their repeat prescriptions before their GP practice and pharmacy shut over the bank holidays. This leads to higher numbers of prescriptions waiting to be dispensed and longer queues.

Juliet says: "Every year we are at battle stations around Christmas as we are busy making sure that every patient that comes to us has their medication when they need it. It's a busy time of year as it is, what with colds and other winter illnesses spreading and our team arranging flu or COVID-19 vaccines for eligible people.

"Don't leave it, if you're going to need to arrange a repeat prescription, let your GP practice know or use the NHS app. Either way, you should order your repeat prescription at least seven working days before you run out."

December often sees a spike in the number of people who need to arrange an urgent repeat prescription.

In December 2023, NHS 111 online saw over 2,100 queries related to urgent repeat prescriptions in mid and south Essex. This equated to around 15% of all queries that month and a 77% jump compared to November 2023.

Juliet also says that people should check they have everything they need for those minor illnesses and injuries.

She says: "There's a lot of things going on around Christmas, and we can easily forget about what we might need to take care of our health. A well-stocked medicine cabinet has items such as age-appropriate pain relief, plasters, bandages and indigestion remedies. Having these to hand will make sure that you can treat those minor illnesses and injuries at home if you need to."

GP practices and most pharmacies will be closed on the bank holidays over the festive period. NHS Mid and South Essex advises that people check NHS 111 online if they need urgent help or call 111. The 111 service directs people to the most appropriate NHS service to help them if they need it.

The 111 online symptom checker and phone line are open 24 hours a day. Emergency lines are also always open 24 hours a day for serious and life-threatening emergencies.

In case of a mental health crisis, adults can call NHS 111 and select the option for mental health at any time. Young people under 18 can call 0800 995 1000.