GP practices in Oxfordshire will be open for telephone appointments on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Pharmacies will also be open but may have different opening hours.

Dr Kiren Collison, GP and clinical chair of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Due to the current coronavirus pandemic we are expecting the long Easter weekend to be a particularly busy time for the NHS.

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“We hope that by keeping GP practices and pharmacies open in this way we will be able to continue to provide care to those who need it and alleviate some of the pressure on the healthcare system at this time.”

For those with a medical problem not related to coronavirus, the advice is for people to contact their GP.

All GP appointments will initially be on the telephone. If a doctor feels the need to see a patient face to face for an examination, they will be invited to the surgery for review.

People are urged to uses services 'responsibly' and not go into their GP practice in person without prior agreement.

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Anyone suffering from coronavirus symptoms should stay at home and self-isolate for seven days. Others in the household should self-isolate for 14 days.

Advice can be accessed from NHS 111 online, people are asked to only call 111 if they feel they cannot cope with their symptoms at home or do not have internet access.

If you need health advice when your GP surgery or pharmacy is closed call NHS 111 to get advice on local services which are open.

Emergency Departments and the ambulance service are still there to be used for life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, suspected heart attack or stroke, severe breathing difficulties or severe bleeding that cannot be stopped. In such cases call 999 immediately.