Getting the care you need this Christmas
We all depend on our local health and care services through the year, but their staff also need a break over the holiday period, so that they can spend time with loved ones.
General practices
Your general practice is likely to be closed on some days, usually Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January). These are all public holidays.
Your practice will usually provide information, either on its website or answerphone message, about its opening hours at this time of year. To find your practice’s website or phone number, please click here.
Remember that your local pharmacy is an excellent source of health advice from trained, professional staff, who can recommend remedies for a wide range of illnesses and injuries. You can walk in for instant help. Some pharmacies will even be open on Christmas Day: see the list below.
If you think you may need to speak to a doctor or nurse or, if you just want peace of mind, why not visit 111 Online and provide details of your symptoms. They will direct you to the most appropriate place, and can even arrange for someone to call you to get more details, if necessary.
Please don’t go to A&E unless it’s a genuine emergency which threatens life or limb. You can help us to ensure that care goes to those who most need it this Christmas and New Year.
If you need a repeat prescription, please make sure you order it in plenty of time. You can save time and effort by downloading the NHS App and ordering your repeat prescription from the comfort of your own home.
Pharmacies
During the holiday period, it may be more difficult to get an appointment with your practice.
You can prepare to care for yourself or loved ones by keeping a range of simple medicines and first aid supplies at home.
Check the advice on nhs.uk on what you might keep in a first aid kit at home (and remember always to keep it locked and out of the reach of children!)
You may be able to get relief from your symptoms by talking to a local pharmacist, who can advise on managing lots of minor illnesses and injuries. You can find your local pharmacy and its opening hours here.
Pharmacies open on Christmas Day
A small number of pharmacies will be open on Christmas Day: their details are below. (All listings are correct at the time of publication. If you will be travelling a long way to visit, you may wish to call ahead to make sure they are open.)
On other days over the Christmas and New Year period, please visit nhs.uk’s Find a Pharmacy page, search for your location and filter the results by ticking the box marked ‘Show only services open now’.
Jardines Pharmacy, The Square, Wolverton MK12 5DG (8:00 – 11:00am)
Jardines Pharmacy, Dorset Way, Whitehouse, Milton Keynes MK8 1EQ (11:30am – 2:30pm)
Jardines Pharmacy, Montague Crescent, Brooklands Milton Keynes MK10 7LN (3:00 – 6:00pm)
Queensway Pharmacy, 143 Queensway, Bletchley MK2 2DY (10:00am – 2:00pm)
Image credit: Bermix Studio, Unsplash
