News

With NHS services continuing to face unprecedented levels of demand, health professionals across Essex are encouraging people to be prepared for the four-day Easter weekend.  By taking some simple steps now and being aware of the most appropriate health care options, you’ll be helping hard-pressed NHS staff cope during this busy time as well as doing your bit to keep you and your family well.

Dr Hasan Chowhan, a GP in Colchester and Chairman of NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The Easter holidays are always a busy time for the NHS and we are urging people to do what they can to ease the pressure on services.

"One of the best things you can do is to ensure you keep some basic medicines at home so you have them available when unexpected minor illness or injury occurs.

"I would encourage everyone to have at hand the medicine cabinet essentials including paracetamol, sticking plasters, indigestion remedy and anti-diarrhoeal medicine. You can ask your pharmacist for advice on what medicines you should keep at home.

“It's also important to have enough repeat medicine to last over the holidays. Remember your GP surgery will be closed on Good Friday (April 19) and Easter Monday (April 22) and it takes 48 hours for most GP surgeries to process a repeat prescription.

“Some pharmacies will be open over the holiday weekend, including Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, so keep a note of the location of the pharmacy nearest to you and its opening times. Pharmacies are a great source of help and advice and the pharmacist could offer you over-the-counter medicine that will help you get better.”

“GP appointments will be available throughout the Easter holiday weekend from bases located across north east Essex. You can make an appointment by contacting your own GP practice during its usual opening hours or through the NHS 111 service.

"If you have forgotten to order your regular medicine from your GP and run out over the holiday period, your pharmacist may be able to help by providing an emergency supply. Please remember to take your repeat slip or empty pack with you to show the pharmacist what you usually take.

"If you feel unwell over the Easter weekend, the NHS 111 service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service never closes. By calling the freephone number you will speak to a trained advisor, be given an assessment and advice and directed to the most appropriate service for your needs. You can also access NHS 111 online."

You can view the opening times for pharmacies in north east Essex over the Easter weekend here.

Please contact your practice or NHS 111 to book an appointment via GP Extended Access. For more information, click here.

Visit NHS 111 Online here.

meeting at Hazelmere car park, Kings Parade, CO15 5HU

Walk your way to good health this winter!  A fun gentle walking group for all ages and abilities. Come along and make new friends from your local community, have fun and get active!  Sundays, 11am – 12.30pm

A FREE WAY TO INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!

Available on the day mobile 07379 145 536

If you can't join us this time, why not come along to our next Sunday walk on 21st April meeting at Sailor Boy, Beach Road, St Osyth

We also run walking groups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - visit the physical activities page for more details.

Meeting points will vary, visit our website or facebook page for details of future walks

https://www.cvstendring.org.uk/hill-projects/physical-activities.html

www.facebook.com/CVSTendring

A two-year project designed to celebrate the heyday of Essex’s Sunshine Coast, from Harwich and Dovercourt to Walton, Frinton, Jaywick Sands and Clacton, reaches a grand finale this May with a free, family-friendly ‘Seaside Revival Day’ at Clacton on Sea.

The ambitious retro event will take over the town’s West Greensward on Sunday 26 May from 10.00am to 5pm and promises ‘a bucket load of good old-fashioned fun’ for all those looking to relive the great British seaside experience.

A packed performance programme designed to appeal to everyone from 4 to 104, showcases music, dance, theatre and comedy.  Britain’s only professional singing Pierrot troupe, The New Follies, will feature alongside cockney singalongs, escapologists and seaside spectaculars from Princes Theatre Youth Group, West Cliff Theatre Youth Group and Clacton’s Mad About Theatre Company.

Visitors can enjoy free entertainment at the retro fayre with storytelling, swing boats and cork shooters! The Grand Theatre of Lemmings will present a treasure trove of Clacton’s secret seaside novelties from the past at The Marvellous Museum of Coastal Curiosities. Plus, there’ll be free workshops for kids to discover clowning, crafts and puppetry as well as the essential Punch and Judy shows!

Local residents, who remember the pleasure boats that ferried passengers along the coast to Mersea between 1940s to 1960s, will have the opportunity to float back in time by buying a ticket to ride on the Viking Saga pleasure boat; or re-kindle more memories at the Heritage Discovery Tent featuring local history 'taster' talks over a cuppa.

The ‘Seaside Revival Day’ has been inspired by the stories, films and images gleaned by the ‘Resorting to the Coast’ heritage project since its launch in 2017.  Stories and images of high days and holidays at the coast have been gathered through events, workshops and training days held with local people, groups and societies along the Tendring Coast.

Resorting to the Coast is a partnership project between Essex County Council and Tendring District Council, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.   The project is further supported by Brightlingsea Museum, Clacton & District Local History Society, Clacton VCH Group, Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust, Jaywick Martello Tower, The Harwich Society and Walton Community Forum. Once complete, an archive featuring local stories, films and images will be held at the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford.

Other Resorting to the Coast celebration events taking place 23-26 May include local schools’ heritage performance projects, a Resorting to the Coast conference and local history fair with the University of East London at Walton-on-the-Naze, and the launch of two new Town Heritage Trails at Frinton and Clacton-on-Sea.

The free ‘Seaside Revival Day’ takes place at Clacton West Greensward, Marine Parade West, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO15 1NW - 10am to 5pm.  To find out more about the project, celebration events and local heritage resources visit: www.tendringcoastalheritage.org.uk