It's important to have a well-stocked first aid kit in your home so you can deal with minor accidents and injuries.
Your first aid kit should be locked and kept in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children.
Many people also keep a small first aid kit in their car for emergencies.
A basic first aid kit may contain:
- Plasters in a variety of different sizes and shapes
- Small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings
- At least two sterile eye dressings
- Triangular bandages
- Crêpe rolled bandages
- Safety pins
- Disposable sterile gloves
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Alcohol-free cleansing wipes
- Sticky tape
- Thermometer (preferably digital)
- Cream or spray to relieve insect bites and stings
- Antiseptic cream
- Painkillers such as paracetamol (or infant paracetamol for children), aspirin (not to be given to children under 16), or ibuprofen
- Cough medicine
- Antihistamine tablets
- Distilled water for cleaning wounds
- Eye wash and eye bath
It may also be useful to keep a basic first aid manual or instruction booklet with your first aid kit.
Medicines should be checked regularly to make sure they are within their use-by dates.