Brown envelope with the logo 'Right Care Right Place' containing A5 leaflet 'A Guide to NHS Scotland Services' by NHS Scotland, Scottish Government, Riaghaltas na h-Alba and NHS 24 and an A4 poster with symptoms and the most appropriate healthcare service to contact, January 2021

Each winter, NHS and healthcare services face increased pressure with the impact of flu and cold weather. From 2020 onwards, this pressure was heightened by COVID-19, particularly as many people had not had flu in winter 2020 due to lockdowns and social distancing. Many healthcare providers looked at changing how urgent care was delivered, including NHS Scotland.

Delivered to all Scottish households, the leaflet and poster details the types of support available online, by telephone and in person depending on what symptoms or help they required. Urgent care was directed to 999 services and people with non-life threating conditions were asked to contact NHS 24 on 111 who could advise on what to do next.

A test of the 'Right Place, Right Care' communication was carried out in Ayrshire and Arran before being rolled out across Scotland. The aim was to divert 20% of people that self-present at A&E to more appropriate services for their needs, often closer to home.