Medic Kit
Medicines, first aid and the bleed kit
0 of 20 bought
£0 of £502 spent
£134 critical
£502 for everything
Buy now: under 72 hours
£134 critical£312CriticalRegular medicines reserve
NHS charge
Ask the GP or pharmacist about an agreed reserve, ideally 28 days where permitted, in original labelled packs. Never ration doses to build it
CriticalPlain paracetamol 500 mg
£0.49
For suitable adults, never alongside another medicine that contains paracetamol
CriticalCalpol Infant, 100 ml
£3.99
For young children; follow the age and strength label; include a syringe
CriticalCalpol Six Plus, 100 ml
£5.09
Different strength; label it clearly and keep its own syringe
CriticalOral rehydration sachets
£13
Dioralyte; mix with the exact volume of safe water. Pharmacist check if anyone takes blood pressure or kidney medicines
Aspirin 300 mg
£1.00est.
Only for a suspected heart attack on NHS advice. Some medicines raise bleeding risk, so ask the pharmacist first
Minor ailments basket
£33est.
Loperamide, antacid, senna, hydrocortisone 1%, clotrimazole, antiseptic, Sudocrem, saline pods, lozenges; pharmacist to check suitability
CriticalFirst aid kit plus top-ups
£55est.
St John Ambulance home kit, plus 40 plasters, 10 gauze packs, 6 non-adherent and 2 large dressings, bandages, tape, 10 pairs of gloves, saline, scissors, tweezers
Pulse oximeter
£15est.
CriticalEmergency trauma dressings
£32est.
Israeli bandage, 4 inch and 6 inch
2 of eachAmazon (opens in a new tab)Temporary dental kit and printed first aid manual
£20est.
Dentanurse; St John Ambulance manual
Blood-pressure monitor (optional)
£55est.
Validated upper-arm model with the right cuff; pharmacist to confirm
Buy next: over 72 hours
£190Practical first aid courses for both adults
£180est.
Adult and child first aid; free awareness sessions are a start
Where There Is No Doctor (printed)
£10est.
Hesperian; free PDF to print
Your medicines
EditAdd your regular medicines on the Your household page. They stay in this browser and appear here.
To do
Check every
Quarterly: expiry dates. Yearly: refresh the first aid course.
Where it lives
A locked medicine box in the main house, out of reach of the children. Trauma kit in one grab bag.
Know-how
Medicine rules
- Combination painkillers such as co-codamol already contain paracetamol: never add more, and never give adult medicines to children.
- Some antidepressants must never be stopped suddenly, and can interact with ibuprofen and aspirin.
- Some blood pressure and diabetes medicines need a sick-day plan for vomiting, diarrhoea or dehydration.
- Calpol Infant and Six Plus are different strengths: separate syringes. No antibiotics or iodine without a clinical instruction. No human painkillers for pets.
Severe bleeding
- Call 999. Press hard on the wound. Pack haemostatic gauze in and hold pressure for at least 3 minutes. On a limb, if it won't stop: tourniquet 5–7 cm above the wound, not on a joint, tighten until it stops, note the time.
Burns, heart attack, dehydration
- Burn: cool running water for 20 minutes, then cling film. No ice or creams.
- Suspected heart attack: call 999, sit them down; aspirin 300 mg chewed only if not allergic and the pharmacist agreed.
- Dehydration: dark pee, peeing less, dry mouth, drowsy child. Give rehydration salts mixed exactly; get help if a child is drowsy.
Carbon monoxide
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness: get into fresh air, turn the appliance off, call 999 or 0800 111 999.
Infographic · tap to enlarge