North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has continued on its mission to help people stay well this winter by handing out a leaflet containing winter wellbeing advice to patients travelling on the Patient Transport Service (PTS).

From late September and throughout October, PTS staff helped kick start a campaign to make the most of each and every patient contact by handing out leaflets about the seasonal flu vaccine.

This was recently followed with another leaflet focusing on advice about how to keep well over the winter months and top tips for staying healthy, including how to keep warm indoors and outdoors, getting advice from your local pharmacist at the first sign of a winter illness, ordering repeat prescriptions online and looking out for other people who may need a bit of extra help during the winter.

NWAS has also joined forces with Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership to help Greater Manchester residents stay well this winter. A booklet containing winter wellbeing advice and top tips on staying healthy, produced by GMHSC Partnership, has been shared with people travelling on NWAS’ Patient Transport Service. A tailored local leaflet has also been produced for distrubution by PTS crews throughout the Morecambe Bay area.

Nathan Hearne, PTS Contract Delivery Manager, said “Many of our patients are over the age of 65 and have existing medical conditions making them more vulnerable during the winter months. By following a few simple steps people can prevent more serious conditions developing and avoid having to go to hospital.

“Patients recently benefitted from receiving our leaflet about the seasonal flu vaccine, and it’s hoped that by sharing further important health information that less people will fall ill over the winter months, which is the busiest time for the NHS.”

The initiative is part of Transforming Patient Care, a two year programme that will see NWAS make a number of developments to improve care for patients, by supporting them in the right way as early on in their NHS experiences as possible.

For more information about NWAS, visit www.nwas.nhs.uk or follow us Twitter @NWAmbulance or find us on Facebook, search for nwasofficial.