Healthwatch Norfolk has created this webpage to offer up-to-date information on local services Christmas opening times, information and support.
You can find opening times and contact details for various organisations, plus events and support sessions for those who may be feeling isolated.
Out-of-hours NHS services
Outside normal surgery hours, you can still phone your GP surgery, but you’ll usually be directed to an out-of-hours service.
The out-of-hours period is from 6.30pm to 8am on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays. However, some GP surgeries offer evening and weekend appointments, so check your surgery’s website for details.
If you require Urgent Care (an illness or injury which requires urgent attention but is not life-threatening), you can:
Use the 111 service by calling 111 or logging on to 111.nhs.uk. If you are deaf or have hearing issues, you can find out more about accessing the service here.
Visit the Norwich Walk-In Centre (find more details about it here) or the Minor Injuries Unit at Cromer Hospital (find more details here)
Visit your community pharmacy.
If you require treatment or care for a life-threatening emergency such as chest pain, breathing difficulties, stroke or sepsis symptoms, serious allergic reactions, trauma, blacking out, or other serious injuries/illnesses, please call 999.
If you require urgent mental health support, you can call 111 and select option 2 for specialist help.
Pharmacy opening times for Christmas and New Year
Some pharmacies are open on Bank Holidays (including for a few hours on Christmas Day and New Years Day).
You can download a list of Bank Holiday opening times here.
Or you can use the Find A Pharmacy website.
To access the website, click here and the website will search based on your town, city or postcode.
Norfolk County Council social services
Essential services continue throughout the Christmas period.
For urgent social care matters which cannot be safely left until the next normal working day, contact Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8020 24 hours a day through the holiday period.
Transport
Local bus services will often finish early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and do not operate on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Timetables may also be amended to Sunday services in the period between Christmas and New Year.
You can check bus journeys/routes via the Traveline website here.
There is some engineering work planned on the Norwich-Cambridge rail route between Christmas and New Year. To check on rail services across Norfolk, you can use the National Rail website at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
More support
Some charities and organisations with support phonelines stay open over Christmas/New Year.
These include:
Samaritans on 116 123.
Lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Age UK Advice Line: 0800 678 1602
The free confidential national telephone service for older people, their families, friends and carers is open from 8am to 7pm 365 days of the year.
Lily is an advice service operated by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. They have an online resource of festive advice, information and events here.
Facing Christmas alone?
We have put together a list of resources to help if you are spending the festive period alone. You can find those here.
Action For Happiness Advent Calendar
Action for Happiness has created an Advent Calendar full of positive actions you can take over the Advent period (or any time). You can download it by clicking here.
