SOME community pharmacists will be open on today’s public holiday Monday July 17and can provide people with expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and ailments and give advice about their medicines.

The following community pharmacists will be open: Duns GLM Romanes Ltd 9am-5.30pm, Eyemouth GLM Romanes Ltd 9am-5.30pm, Galashiels Boots 8.30am – 7pm and Tesco 9am – 6pm, Hawick Lindsay & Gilmour 9am-6pm, Kelso Boots 9am – 5.30pm and Lloyds 8.30am-5.30pm, Lauder Pharmacy 9am-1pm and 2pm – 6pm, Newcastleton Dispensing Practice 8am-6pm, Selkirk V 9am-6pm and Right Medicine 9am-5.30pm and West Linton Pharmacy 0am-1pm and 2pm-6pm.

Most Health Centres and GP Practices in the Borders will be closed for the public holiday on Monday 17 July 2023.

The following practices will be open: Coldstream – Coldstream Medical Practice, Earlston – Earlston Medical Practice, Galashiels - Roxburgh Street Medical Practice, Kelso – Kelso Medical Practice, Lauder – Stow and Lauder Medical Practice, Lauder, Newcastleton – Newcastleton Medical Practice, Selkirk – Selkirk Medical Practice, Stow – Stow and Lauder Medical Practice, Stow, West Linton – West Linton Medical Practice.

An NHS Borders spokesperson said: “Please help us to keep you and our NHS safe by using our services wisely and seeking the right care at the right place.

“If you need health advice or treatment for non-life-threatening conditions, please call NHS 24 on 111 and they will signpost you to the right place to get the advice or care that you need. You may need to wait a while for your call to be answered or for a member of the team to call you back, but this can be done in the comfort of your own home.

“If you do need to be seen, you may be given an appointment. This will avoid you having to make any unnecessary trips to hospital, and it also ensures that our specialists in the Emergency Department are available to treat people who require emergency medical care for life threatening conditions.

"If it is an emergency, you should still call 999 as you did before or come to the Emergency Department, where our team will be able provide you with emergency medical care.

"Please be considerate when attending your local pharmacy: 

“You should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you feel unwell. Please make arrangements for someone else to pick up your medication or ask your pharmacy to have your prescription delivered to your home, as you may unintentionally be putting yourself, pharmacy staff and others at unnecessary risk.”