HEALTH chiefs have urged Gloucestershire residents to take steps to ease pressure on NHS services this winter.
In an open letter to the public, three senior health leaders in the area have jointly issued advice, urging residents to help minimise the impact on medical services.
Dr Ananthakrishnan Raghuram, Professor Mark Pietroni and Dr Amjad Uppal said: "Flu cases are the highest on record for this time of year - 50 per cent higher than last year with no sign yet of cases peaking."
They are now encouraging eligible people to get a free flu and Covid-19 booster jab as soon as possible.
Residents are urged to find out about eligibility and vaccination details on the NHS Gloucestershire website.
There is also advice for those feeling under the weather.
People are being asked to stay home and avoid contact with others if they are too unwell to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Regular hand washing with soap and water, particularly after being outside, is advised to stop the spread of germs.
An added emphasis is on getting early advice from a pharmacy if you or someone in your family starts feeling unwell, especially for those with ongoing health conditions.
If not an emergency, people are urged to avoid going to Emergency Departments, which should be kept for life-threatening conditions and serious injuries only.
Instead, residents are advised to call NHS 111 for advice, or visit 111.nhs.uk -- this phone service is backed by a doctor-led local assessment service.
It can arrange calls with clinicians or steer callers to other necessary NHS services.
Residents are urged to monitor local NHS social media pages and websites for the latest updates.
Dr Ananthakrishnan Raghuram, Professor Mark Pietroni and Dr Amjad Uppal closed their letter by saying: "Our fantastic health professionals in GP practices, community services, hospitals and emergency care are doing a truly inspirational job, but they are doing this under great pressure.
"Please spare a thought for those working across the festive period and please be kind and understanding if you come into contact with our services - they are giving their all to provide the very best care they can.