GP appointments available over the Christmas holidays

News - 21 December 2021

Knowing the right place for medical help over the Christmas holidays can help you get the treatment you need faster.

Out of hours GP hub appointments are available every normal weekday evening between 6.30pm and 10pm, and between 8am and 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

You can book these appointments by calling the GP hubs booking hotline on 020 3770 1888 (open from 8am to 8pm) or by calling 111. If you have any urgent medical need, you can visit NHS 111 online for advice any time.

You can also get help with minor injuries and illnesses at our community Urgent Treatment Centres at Barking Community Hospital and Harold Wood Polyclinic. These are open 8am to 9pm, seven days a week. You can call NHS 111 to book an appointment or walk in and wait to be seen.

NHS 111 can arrange an urgent face-to-face A&E appointment during an allocated timeslot anywhere in London, if someone needs it - meaning shorter waiting times and fewer people in A&E.

NHS 111 can also make direct appointments online, by phone or face-to-face with a variety of health services, including Urgent Treatment Centres, specialised mental health crisis services, dental services and pharmacists for urgent repeat prescriptions and advice. If needed, an ambulance can also be despatched.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To get help from NHS 111, you can:

go to 111.nhs.uk (for people aged 5 and over only).
call 111 for free from a landline or mobile phone (all ages).

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. When you visit you must comply with the social distancing measures in place to protect yourself and staff.

You can also access Covid-19 testing throughout the holiday period. More information is here: https://www.eastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/ourplans/covid-19.htm

Dr Jagan John, a local GP and chair of NHS Barking and Dagenham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said:

“We understand that during the holidays, you can sometimes need an appointment with a GP or nurse outside normal working hours.

“This year we’re offering people flexible appointments across evenings and weekends and bank holidays, including Christmas day. The way we have been seeing patients has changed this year to keep everyone safe from Covid but rest assured you will be properly assessed and if required, seen face-to-face.”