Doctors are urging patients to stay healthy over the Easter holiday – by getting prepared.

Patients across Bradford and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven are being advised to stock up on vital medicines to make sure they do not run out of repeat prescriptions.

The advice has been issued by NHS Bradford City, NHS Bradford Districts and NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs.)

Making sure patients have enough medicines to see them through the Easter holidays, when GP surgeries are closed, can not only make a difference to patients’ health but it could also ensure doctors are not called out unnecessarily or that people are not heading to A&E when they don’t need to, says Dr Aamer Khan, urgent-care lead for Bradford City CCG.

Doctors are also reminding patients of the benefits of using their local pharmacies and only using their local A&E department or dialling 999 in critical or life-threatening situations.

Dr Khan said: “Holidays are times when demand on emergency services increases dramatically so it is important that patients think: does this illness or injury really need emergency treatment?

“If patients are taking regular medicines, making sure they have enough stocks to last over the holidays by getting organised with their repeat prescriptions is essential.”

And Dr Colin Renwick, clinical chairman at Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG, added: “A well-stocked medicine cupboard is essential, especially over holiday times. Having home remedies to hand means peace of mind.”

A list of Easter surgery opening times is at airedalewharfedalecravenccg.nhs.uk, bradfordcityccg.nhs.uk and bradforddistrictsccg.nhs.uk