| Emergency Department 
	very busy; please only attend if you really need to 
	 
	DOCTORS and nurses at the Royal Liverpool University 
	Hospital are urging the people of Liverpool to think about whether they 
	could be treated elsewhere before coming to the emergency department and are 
	asking for their support during this busy period. 
	All Hospitals are experiencing increased 
	attendances.  Dr Tom Wiles, emergency medicine 
	consultant, said:-  "We are seeing large numbers of patients and the 
	department is very busy. There are many other ways of getting the healthcare 
	you need and many illnesses and injuries don't need to be treated in a 
	hospital. There are lots of good support services out there, including NHS 
	111 and your GP.  There are lots of very unwell people who do need our 
	care and treatment. We really need the support of the people of Liverpool to 
	allow us to look after the people who need us most. Please think about 
	whether you really need our care and treatment."  There are a range of different healthcare providers in Liverpool that people 
	can access if they have concerns about their health. 
	 
	Also Southport and Ormskirk  hospitals have reported to 
	us that they have been A&E attendances were up 17% on Sunday against the 
	previous 6 weeks and up 20% in January against the same month in 2015. 
	"Please use A&E wisely and think carefully before attending hospital. We 
	are experiencing extremely high demand for beds. You don't need an 
	appointment at A&E but we make an assessment on arrival and, depending on 
	how urgent treatment is needed, you may have to wait. The triage nurse or 
	clinician may also signpost you to a different health care provider such as 
	your GP, dentist or pharmacy." Jeanette 
	Abraham, Associate Director of Operations. 
	Here's a guide to local health services:-
 Your Local GP
 
 Your GP should be your first point of contact for non-emergency illnesses 
	you can't treat yourself. Your GP is available from 8.00am to 6.30pm 
	weekdays, with same day appointments available, if necessary. Many GPs 
	across the city are offering more appointments during the winter period. If 
	you don't have a GP, you can register with your local surgery. If you're not 
	sure where this is, you can find out
	
	
	online or by calling:- 0300 77 77 007.
 
 GP Out of Hours Service
 
 If your local surgery is closed, you can still see a GP with the GP 
	out of hours service; just contact your local practice and your call will be 
	re-directed. GP out of hours services in Liverpool are provided across the City. Most of the doctors who provide this service also work in local 
	practices. It's very likely that you and your family will be seen and 
	treated more quickly using the out of hours service than if you were waiting 
	to see a doctor in A&E, especially at busy times.
 
 You can also access treatment quickly by considering 1 of these 
	alternative options:-
 
 ►  NHS 111
 
 When you need medical help or advice fast, but it is not a 999 emergency, 
	you can also call the NHS 111 service. NHS 111 is available, 24 hours a day, 
	365 days a year and calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
 
 ►  
	NHS Walk-In Centres
 
 Walk-in centres provide treatment 365 days a year for illnesses that you 
	can't treat yourself and there's no need to book an appointment. Opening 
	times and locations are
	
	here.
 
 ►  
	Pharmacy Services
 
 Your local pharmacy can offer free, confidential and expert advice on a 
	range of health issues. They can help you prepare for many of the common 
	illnesses like coughs and colds and ensure you have a well stocked medicine 
	cabinet over the holiday period.
 
 ►  
	NHS Choices Website
 
 You can find a wealth of advice about hundreds of health conditions, details 
	of GPs, pharmacies and dentists in your local area by visiting the NHS 
	Choices 
	
	website.
 
	Southport and Ormskirk Hospital added:- "A&E is for 
	only for medical emergencies and people facing life threatening 
	conditions such as serious accidents, serious burns, breathing problems, 
	heart attacks and strokes.
	Treatment for minor injuries is available at West Lancashire Health Centre 
	to the left of the entrance to Ormskirk hospital and Skelmersdale NHS 
	Walk in Centre at The Concourse. The last appointment to see a nurse is 9pm." |  | Pensby 
	High School Student goes through to the Future Chef National final 
	   BETHAN Disley Jones, 15, from 
	Wirral, Merseyside cooks up a winner in the North West Regional Final of 
	Springboard's FutureChef 2016 Competition!
 Bethan, from Pensby High School, beat 6 to win a place at Springboard's FutureChef National Final and served up a menu of seared & torched mackerel 
	along with courgette and ricotta ravioli with samphire grass. This was 
	followed by a banoffee chocolate dome, a toffee, caramelised banana, and a 
	butter biscuit crumb served with a Chantilly cream.
 
 On Friday, 5 February 2016, at The Manchester College, Fielden Campus, Bethan 
	Disley-Jones joined 6 young aspiring chefs at the North West Regional Final. 
	In recent months these dedicated young chefs have already outshone more than 
	350 of their peers in earlier rounds of the Springboard's FutureChef, The 
	Competition 2016. At the North West Regional Final they showcased their 
	fantastic cooking, budgeting and time management skills.
 
 Springboard's FutureChef is a nationwide culinary initiative which is 
	delivered in over 550 schools nationwide. The main goal of FutureChef is to 
	assist young people aged 12 to 16 in learning the vital life skills of cooking 
	and understanding nutrition, as well as providing an invaluable insight into 
	and inspiration for building a career within the hospitality industry.
 
 The talented hopefuls began their challenge and have already succeeded in 
	2 previous rounds of the competition as they cooked for a place in this 
	year's final. On the day Bethan reigned supreme, impressing the judges with 
	her winning menu which, according to the judges, she delivered with the 
	confidence of a professional.
 
 Head Judge Gareth Billington of Sodexo at Everton Football Club said:- 
	"Bethan wowed us with her highly skilled menu and calm approach to 
	working in such a pressured environment. She displayed a real understanding 
	of the techniques needed to produce great food. I've worked with 
	professionals who would have been delighted to have produced the results Bethan did and she really stood out today. I'm very proud to be part of the 
	Springboard FutureChef initiative and it's so encouraging to know that there 
	is a new generation of chefs with the talent to succeed in this wonderful 
	industry."
 
 Winner Bethan Disley Jones said:- "I've really enjoyed myself today. 
	It was a tough competition and the dishes everyone made were so good. I'm 
	really happy to have won!"
 Bethan's teacher Ms Foster said:- 
	"What a fantastic regional final! The standard of the dishes the pupils made 
	were superb and they should all be so proud of themselves. I'm over the moon 
	that Bethan has won today and will go through to the National Final in 
	London!"
 Suzanne Chilvers, Head of Springboard for the North of England said:- 
	"Springboard's FutureChef was developed as a result of research into young 
	people's ideas about the hospitality industry. Research revealed that young 
	people really admire high profile and celebrity chefs, yet surprisingly few 
	genuinely consider a career as a chef! Springboard's FutureChef provides 
	teachers and young people with a wonderful insight into the wealth of career 
	opportunities that the hospitality sector has to offer."
 
 The 2016 competition will culminate on the 14 March 2016, with the National 
	Final taking place at Westminster Kingsway College in London.
 Letters to the Editor:-
	"The Press Recognition Panel call for information on IMPRESS" "AS you may know, we (IMPRESS: The 
	Independent Monitor) have recently announced our application to the Press 
	Recognition Panel (PRP). We wanted to let you know that the PRP is now ready 
	to call for information. We also wanted to let you know that we have 
	recently confirmed our 1st dozen members, which include this Online 
	Newspaper (Southport Reporter) along with many hyperlocal publishers from 
	around the UK, who will become part of a diverse network of organisations 
	who share the values of independent journalism. With our experienced Board, 
	staff and committee members now in place, we are looking forward to 
	operating as the 1st truly independent press regulator in the UK. To find 
	out more about IMPRESS and also the call for information from the PRP, 
	please visit our
	
	website." Walter Merricks CBE, Chair, IMPRESS. 
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