Our phone line and office will be closed from Monday 23rd December and repon on Monday 6th Jan at 10am.
We will not answer phone calls or emails until the team returns to the office but don't forget you can still share your views and experiences with us via email: info@healthwatchreading.co.uk or using our online forms here.
Health information and advice for the holidays
Should you have a medical emergency during the festive season, please call 999.
NHS 111
Please contact NHS 111 for all non-urgent medical help or advice, including mental health crisis support.
NHS 111 operates 24/7, including on Christmas Day and all bank holidays. You can call them for free on 111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk.
A video relay service is also available to make a video call to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter should you need one.
Urgent /emergency dental treatment
Below are details of the emergency dental service / out-of-hours information for Christmas and the New Year.
You can access these services by calling NHS 111 or calling the dental practices directly. As a Reading resident you can access all these dental practices.
Download the list by clicking below.
Your local pharmacy
Many local pharmacies will be closed or operating reduced hours throughout this period. However, there are still some pharmacies local to the borough you can visit if you want to speak to a pharmacist about any health concerns.
You can also use the 'Find a Pharmacy' NHS website to find a service that is open when you need it: nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy
You can also ring NHS 111 and they can provide this information.
Other information and advice
We also have a range of advice and information pages that may help you and your loved ones, please click here.
Adult Social Care at Reading Council:
Adult social care teams will operate an emergency duty service over Christmas to support vulnerable adults and carers who require urgent assistance.
Urgent Support Only: Tuesday 24, Friday 27, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 December 2024 (open from 9 am to 5pm), call 0118 9373747
Closed: Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December 2024, and Wednesday 1 January 2025
Out-of-Hours Service: For urgent support outside office hours (before 9 am and after 5 pm), or at weekends or bank holidays call 01344 351999
Normal service will be in place from Thursday 2 January 2025.
For more information on Reading Council services over Christmas, click here.
Other charities and organisations with support phone lines and services that stay open over Christmas/New Year include:
Samaritans: Call 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 - 7pm, 365 days a year.
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