In normal life I'm actor. In March I began working for 111 in London. We have become increasingly busy in the last 2 weeks. As well as masks, distancing etc here are some very basic things you can do to help us cope (disclaimer I'm not a clinician) 1

Keep on top of your repeat prescriptions - especially if they're for controlled substances. The more organised you are the better. But if you do run out, of course we are there for you / 2

Look after your teeth - brush them, floss, eat well; out of hours dental services are stretched to the max and you could be in pain a while before you're treated (also, don't go to A&E with tooth pain, they cannot treat you) 3

Don't embark on any crazy DIY if you're inexperienced or have faulty tools, or accident prone. Be extra careful. But mishaps do happen and we're there if they do 4

Look after your general health; ward off UTIs by drinking plenty of water. Eat your veg, get sleep, drink less booze - now is not the time for self-inflicted illness. And all the little things you can do to ward off minor ailments all add up 5

For minor ailments, UTI, earache - use your pharmacist, they are an untapped resource & study medicines for 5 years, they can offer advice on minor ailments. Rule of thumb is if not self-resolved after 3 days call us or your GP / 6

Visit http://nhs.uk  for lots of health information - you can find a lot of information on there that might answer your query / 7

But OF COURSE if you feel you need to call, then please still do. You must. Looking at you, especially, the over 60s, and no, you're not wasting our time, that's what we're there for / 8

And finally, be patient, we're all working very hard doing our best. Stay well x