Christmas & New Year Bank Holiday opening hours 2022/23 & Rota Claim form

With the countdown to Christmas underway many people across Surrey and Sussex will be wanting to plan ahead for the big day and the holidays that come with it.

Community pharmacy will be open all over Sussex and Surrey but will be operating at different hours than usual during the Christmas period, so patients and residents are being reminded that it is best to plan ahead to make sure they don’t end up without the vital healthcare and medicines they need.

 NHS pharmacy finder

Please find the rota claim form here.


Find out who is open, and their opening hours over the festive period.

Information collated and supplied by NHS England

Helping communities feel prepared ahead of Christmas

Need to find a pharmacy over the festive period? Why not use the NHS pharmacy finder to find your closest store.

Prepare by ordering your repeat prescription. Make sure you have enough medication to last over the festive season, or re-order around seven days before you are due to run out.

If you receive medicine on repeat prescription, you can now use several apps and websites to order online. You, or a friend or relative, can then collect your medicines from a pharmacy or have them delivered to your home (where available).

When you order a repeat prescription online, you can have your prescription sent electronically to a pharmacy or dispenser of your choice. This means you no longer need to collect a paper prescription from your GP surgery.

Help save pharmacy deliveries for priority patients. Why not ask a friend, family member or carer if they can pick up your prescription? If you have been told you are clinically extremely vulnerable, ask your pharmacy for advice.

Don’t stockpile medicine. Community pharmacy teams are working hard to make sure that all patients continue to have access to the medicines they need, when they need them. Please only order what you need.

Keep medicine cabinets stocked. Be prepared with a small stock of medical essentials like a thermometer and painkillers, such as paracetamol, at home. Why not use the walk-in services at your local pharmacy to ask for advice on what you should keep in your cabinet?

Respect pharmacy staff. Community pharmacists are critical healthcare providers and deliver vital support as part of the NHS family. Please be patient and polite to staff where there are changes to usual services, or if things take longer than usual over this busy period.

NHS 111 for Urgent care If you need urgent medical help or advice for non-life-threatening conditions, visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111.