Many health services close during the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays but there are several options available every single day, including GP Extended Access Hubs where you can still get appointments to see a GP or nurse, or the 24/7, 365 days per year GP Out of Hours provision for Tower Hamlets residents.
Tower Hamlets GP Care Group provides a number of health services in the borough, making it easier for residents to know where to turn for GP health services this Christmas period.
When your usual GP practice is closed, you can access our local GP Extended Access Hubs, which will be open Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day by calling NHS 111.
The NHS App and NHS 111 are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These are excellent resources for non-urgent medical issues helping patients to self-check their symptoms and receive on the spot medical advice 24/7. To get help from NHS 111, you can:
If you can, order enough medication to last you over the Christmas holidays. However, some community pharmacies will also be open on bank holidays. Before visiting your local pharmacy, first check the opening hours on the NHS.UK website.
GP Care Group Joint Chief Executive, Chris Banks said: "With the festive season upon us, knowing where to go before something goes wrong can make all the difference. That’s why it’s important to know what GP and nurse health care options are available in Tower Hamlets. We want to help people make the right choices when it comes to health services and not simply default to going to A&E unless they have a life-threatening issue."
You can access healthcare services, including local pharmacy opening times, by calling NHS 111, it's free, even on a mobile phone. NHS 111 is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
