If you have a minor injury you can Call MIA – the new Minor Injuries Assessment service on 111, 8.30am – 9pm, 7 days a week (including public holidays), before you attend the Minor Injuries Unit. You will then be offered a video assessment so you can quickly access clinical advice or an appointment in either Stirling or Larbert, if required.

If you are looking for urgent healthcare advice or treatment, but not for something life threatening, call NHS 24 on 111 during the day or night.

To make sure you are going directly to the right service visit our full Guide to Local Services.

Show you care. Prepare.

You can play a vital role in keeping us all healthier this Winter. Help yourself, your loved ones and the NHS by doing the following:

• Check your repeat prescription, order only what you need to, and in plenty of time.
• Get Winter health advice and medicines from your pharmacist.
• Use NHS Inform for self-help guides.

These are just a few of the ways we can all show we care – for ourselves, each other and our NHS.

Pharmacy availability over the festive period

All pharmacists are able to provide free treatment for a range of common conditions without a GP prescription. These include urine infections, conjunctivitis, skin conditions (such as eczema, dermatitis and reactions to insect bites) skin infections (such as cellulitis and impetigo) and thrush.

Flu Vaccination

Vaccinations are currently underway for those aged 60 to 64 as well as anyone in a high risk group that was not able to attend a vaccination session previously.

Please contact NHS Forth Valley’s flu helpline on 0800 130 3120 to book an appointment or email fv.fvadultflu-appointments@nhs.scot.

See our Flu page for details of local flu vaccination arrangements.

COVID-19 guidance

The Festive Fact Sheet outlines tips and ideas on how stay safe during the festive period, including:

• Alternative ways to celebrate Christmas together if not joining a bubble
• Considerations when deciding who to meet up with
• Ways to reduce the spread

For the latest Covid-19 advice and information over the festive period, please visit the Scottish Government website.

Weather and travel advice

Sign up to receive the latest weather warnings in your area directly from the Met Office. Or download their app for the latest information where you are. To help get the most out of their advice, you may wish to learn more about their warning system, e.g. what the colour of each type of warning means.

If you’re travelling by road, Traffic Scotland host an interactive map which provides information on all incidents, roadworks, travel warnings and more on Scotland’s major roads. You can also check live traffic cameras across the country to monitor road conditions before you set off.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) offers a live flood update service called Floodline. If you live in a flood-risk area or are concerned about flooding, you can sign up for free flood warnings by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or by visiting their signup page.

Get the latest updates on your rail route with ScotRail’s live network map. Check the service on a single route, or see the whole network at a glance. Make sure you also sign up for JourneyCheck alerts on your regular journeys.

Remember that driving under the influence of alcohol can have devastating consequences for you and other people – and you can still be over the legal limit the morning after drinking. So, even if your work’s Christmas party is happening over Zoom, remember feeling sober the next day doesn’t mean you are. Visit the Road Safety Scotland website for more information on the dangers of drink driving.

Protect your home

If you are experiencing an unexpected loss of supply or emergency, you can check if it is on Latest In Your Area map on the Scottish Water website. You can report any new problems, on their dedicated portal.

If you experience loss of power, call 105, which will connect you to the correct network operator for your region. You can also call 105 if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger. If there’s a serious immediate risk, you should call the emergency services too.

Police Scotland have shared a lot of good festive safety information on their website. Remember, the 101 number is to be used for non-emergencies when contacting the police and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency, dial 999.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have some good advice on Winter safety at home including checking your smoke and heat alarms are working, replacing batteries if necessary.

Local council and community advice

Clackmannanshire Council has an out of hours emergency number which you can call on 01259 450000. You can also contact them via email on customerservice@clacks.gov.uk.

Falkirk Council has some useful advice on their website to help you ‘Get ready for Winter’. They have set up an emergency helpline which you can reach on 01324 506070. If your call is not an emergency you can email them via contact.centre@falkirk.gov.uk.

Stirling Council can be contacted via their website’s enquiry form. Alternatively you can call them on 01786 404040.

Ready Scotland have provided simple steps to reduce the harm that unexpected events cause you, ensure that you get any extra help you might need put you in a good position to help those around you. Their website contains information and advice about the ways that individuals, groups and local businesses can support their communities through challenging situations.

The Red Cross Mobility Aids Service is still available over the festive period should anyone need short term use of a wheelchair or commode.