GP practices will be closed across East Ayrshire on Monday, May 1 for the bank holiday.

Residents are being urged to check who to turn to if they need advice or support to cope with any common health concerns.

As well as the GP practices closing, most pharmacies will also be closed, so you are asked to make sure you have enough medical supplies to last until Tuesday.

Monday 1 May 2023

All pharmacies will be closed, except:

  • Boots Pharmacy, 62/70 King Street, Kilmarnock – 12noon – 4pm
  • Well Pharmacy, 1/5 Loudon Street, Mauchline – 9am – 1pm & 2pm – 6pm
  • Right Medicine Pharmacy, 90 Main Street, Ochiltree – 9am – 1pm & 2pm – 5.30pm

These community pharmacists will remain open during this period and can answer questions on choosing and using the right medicine and provide easy-to-understand advice on treating everyday ailments.

Roisin Kavanagh, NHS Ayrshire and Arran's director of pharmacy, explained: “You can do a number of things to make sure you are prepared to deal with common illnesses over each of the bank holiday weekends.

"Have a sufficient supply of medicines like paracetamol, sore throat and cough remedies will help to relieve the symptoms of common ailments.

“If you take regular medication, you should check your existing supplies and only order what you need to see you through over the holiday weekend. It is also a good idea to make sure you know when your local GP practice and community pharmacy are closed.

"Please also take into consideration the time required by your local GP practice and community pharmacy for processing prescription requests as this can add up to several days.”