Medicines and health

First aid kit

The Be Ready checklist lists the contents of a first aid kit: waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings and gloves, medical tape for dressings, and tweezers. Be Ready also suggests keeping a first aid kit in the car.

Be Ready asks people to learn some basic first aid, pointing to St John Ambulance at https://www.sja.org.uk/first-aid-advice/, and suggests looking for free workshops or asking an employer to pay for a course. The British Red Cross runs free workshops and first aid courses, listed at https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies.

Medication

Keep essential medication and medical supplies at home. Be Ready's advice on repeat prescriptions is specific: always leave enough time to request them, and request a prescription up to five working days before you need the medicine, so there is less chance of running out in an emergency. The disabled persons and carers page adds that you should have enough medication to keep you going for several days, kept in an accessible and memorable place and, if you can, in a waterproof container such as a plastic food box.

Write down a list of regular medication and doses and keep it with your emergency numbers. Before cold weather, check you have enough medication in case it is harder to leave the house, and agree who could collect it for you.

Equipment that needs power or water

If anyone in the household uses medical equipment that needs electricity, Be Ready asks you to make a plan now with the care provider or clinical team. The plan should say what action to take and who to contact in a power cut. Ask the care team or equipment supplier to explain how the equipment works and what to do if the power goes. Keep back-up batteries charged, and keep printed instructions for the equipment with your documents. The checklist's power bank is for compatible medical devices as well as phones.

If a device needs water, Be Ready's water outage page asks for the same conversation with the care team. If you rely on a personal alarm, telecare or a connected device such as a diabetes sensor, ask the provider how it works without power or internet.

The Priority Services Register at thepsr.co.uk is open to anyone medically dependent on electricity, gas or water. Registered customers get priority support in a power cut, support for medical equipment that needs electricity, advance notice of planned work and a priority phone line. See the Priority Services Register.

Medical information on you

Add medical information to the phone's Medical ID or ICE feature so the emergency services can read it without unlocking the phone, and think about how sensitive it is. Be Ready's disabled persons page suggests medical alert tags or bracelets where appropriate, and carrying a card that tells first responders how to communicate with you.

Heat and cold

Hypothermia is a medical emergency and needs hospital treatment; the NHS symptoms page is at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/. Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency help if the person can cool down within 30 minutes, but heatstroke is an emergency; the NHS page is at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/. If you are worried about someone's health in either, Be Ready says to contact a pharmacist, a GP or NHS 111. In immediate danger, call 999.

Hygiene

The checklist's hygiene line is hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products. In a water outage, hands are washed in a bowl with soap or household disinfectant; see water.