NHS GM Winter Health Tips for Oldham Residents 2026

January is the NHS's busiest month, and Oldham residents are being urged to take small, practical steps now to avoid adding to that pressure. Pharmacists, nurses, and mental-health clinicians across Greater Manchester have pooled the advice they give friends and family into a single winter checklist.

Kenny Li, chief pharmacist for NHS Greater Manchester, says the first job is to count your tablets: order repeat prescriptions at least seven days before they run out and keep a drawer stocked with paracetamol, ibuprofen, and a thermometer so colds and sore throats can be handled at home.

For those who feel the walls closing in as the nights stretch on, consultant psychiatrist Sandeep Ranote points to NHS 111 option 2, a dedicated mental-health line open 24 hours a day. A five-minute call, she says, can stop isolation sliding into crisis.

Laura Jones, a Bolton physiotherapist who treats falls after icy days, advises indoor layers, hourly stretches, and moving rugs and cables that catch slippers. District nurse Rachel. Murphy adds a social prescription: phone an older neighbour before you do the weekly shop; if you can pick up milk for yourself, you can pick it up for them too.

Emergency matron Huma Waheed reminds residents that A&E is not the only open door. NHS 111 online or by phone will book you into an urgent treatment centre, a pharmacy clinic, or a mental-health team, with interpreters and British Sign Language on tap. For non-medical help-warm hubs, benefits checks, even a free home safety visit-Oldhamers can ring Independent Age on 0800 319 6789 or consult the council's Winterwise Guide.