How and where to access health and care services over the festive period
Healthwatch Information and Signposting Service
Over the festive period, our Information and Signposting service, including for telephone enquiries, will be closed from 2pm on Tuesday 23rd December, re-opening at 10am on Friday 2nd January 2026.
For a response in the new year, a voicemail service will be available for you to leave a message, or you can email: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk.
If you would like to leave feedback about a specific health or care service you can still do so, at any time, via our Feedback Centre.
Emergency, urgent and routine medical care
For an immediate, life threatening medical emergency call 999.
For non-emergency medical advice contact your GP, or NHS 111 if you are unable to access a GP service. You may be able to find the medical advice you need online.
The NHS 111 online service can tell you:
• where to get help for your symptoms, if you're not sure what to do
• how to find general health information and advice
• where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine
• how to get a repeat prescription
Adult Social Care enquiries and safety concerns
Contact the Health and Social Care Connect team (East Sussex County Council) on 0345 608 0191 to:
- report abuse or neglect
- apply for care and support
- get support for a carer
This service is open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week including bank holidays. Calls are charged at a local rate. Select menu option 2 to connect to the Emergency Duty Service for an out of hours emergency.
You can also access further information via the East Sussex County Council website.
Updates for accessing health and care services over the festive period
How to get help for your mental health
For immediate help
If your life - or someone else's life - is in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to A&E.
For same or next day help
You can get support in different ways depending on what you prefer. All services are free.
- Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option (available 24/7). To request an interpreter, please ask someone to call on your behalf and say which language is needed.
- Call the Samaritans on 116 123 (available 24/7)
- Visit a Staying Well service (out-of-hours mental health crisis support service for people aged 18+ available in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings and Worthing). If you need an interpreter, these services can call for interpretation help while you are with them.
- Text the word SUSSEX to 85258 (24/7 mental health text-messaging support service). If you are using Google Translate, please tell the mental health professional that you don’t speak English.
- Download the Stay Alive app - a suicide prevention resource full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.
GP Practices
Your GP’s opening hours may change over Christmas and New Year.
Information should be available on your surgery’s website or telephone answering service outlining these changes.
Advice from NHS Sussex is to make sure you get your prescription medicines before your GP practice or pharmacy closes for the holidays.
If you need medical advice outside your GP’s opening hours, or should you need an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine, visit NHS 111 online or call 111.
Dental Practices
Your dentist’s opening hours may change over Christmas and New Year.
Information about closures and other options available to you when closed should be available on your practice’s own website or telephone answering service.
If you need urgent dental treatment or advice outside of your dentist’s opening hours please contact the Sussex Dental Helpline (see details below).
Sussex Dental Helpline
The NHS Sussex Dental Helpline, 0300 123 1663, will continue to operate Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm, over the festive period, except for bank holidays.
They can support with information to help you access NHS dental services.
When you call the helpline, you'll speak to a trained professional who can help you find a dentist taking on NHS patients or refer you for appropriate urgent or emergency care.
Where can I go for out-of-hours or emergency dental treatment? - East Sussex Emergency NHS Dental Service
The East Sussex Emergency NHS Dental Service can only treat patients who have an urgent care need that meets the strict triage criteria around clinical symptoms.
The service offers out of hours urgent treatment to patients who reside in East Sussex. Patients contacting the service will be triaged and an appointment will only be offered to those meeting the clinical criteria.
The Eastbourne service can be telephoned on 01323 449170. The service is open between 6.30pm and 10.30pm on weekday evenings with appointments between 7pm and 9pm. On weekends and bank holidays, the service is open between 1pm to 5.30pm, with appointments between 2pm to 4pm.
The Hastings service can be telephoned on 01424 850792. The service is open between 6.30pm and 10.30pm on weekday evenings with appointments between 7pm and 9pm. On weekends and bank holidays, the service is open between 9am to 1.30pm, with appointments between 10am to 12pm.
Further information on the Emergency Dental Service in East Sussex is available here.
Accessing medication and prescriptions
Advice from NHS Sussex is to make sure you have the prescription medicines you need and stock up your medicine cabinet as your pharmacy’s opening times may be different over the festive period.
Your pharmacy will be able to confirm any changes to their opening hours via their website, telephone service or an in-store notice.
Pharmacy opening times across Christmas and New Year 2025/26 are also available on the NHS England website here.
Support with NHS Complaints
The Advocacy People provide NHS complaints advocacy to support residents in East Sussex with complaints to services delivered by or paid for by the NHS.
They can be contacted via info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk or 0330 440 9000
Over the festive period, please note their contact centre will be closed on the bank holidays.
