How to take good care of yourself over the festive period
Make sure you have enough medication for the holiday period, whether that’s medicine prescribed by your GP or over the counter medicine.
Repeat prescriptions must be placed before 18 December 2024 to save you time, minimise delays and ensure you can pick up your medicine from your nearest pharmacy.
Plan routine GP appointments and check operating/opening hours of your health care provider.
Try and keep your home as warm as possible when it is cold outside.
With high energy prices currently, if you need somewhere warm and welcome, you can use Birmingham City Council’s directory to find information about places you can use and visit during the winter period and beyond.
Call NHS 111 or visit your local pharmacist for advice if you are feeling unwell – don’t wait for your GP surgery to open again.
Who to call in a crisis
People of all ages in England are able to access 24/7 local mental health crisis services directly by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option.
If you are deaf or have hearing loss, you can visit the NHS’ online website to be connected with an interpreter.
In Birmingham and Solihull, those already engaging with mental health services are asked to continue to contact their existing service. Contact telephone numbers will be in care plans and treatment plan letters.
Those seeking advice and information for people experiencing mental health difficulties, and not a mental health crisis, are encouraged to call the Birmingham Mind Mental Health Helpline (0121 262 3555; Freephone 0800 915 9292) between 9am and 11pm.
You can also email help@birminghammind.org or get in contact the webchat service Helpline – Birmingham Mind
In an emergency
A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone’s time. Call 999 or go to A&E now if:
- Someone’s life is at risk – for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose;
- You do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe.
Other helpful support
These free listening services offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult:
- Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours;
- Text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text “YM” if you’re under 19;
- If you’re under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
Our Services
All Acute and Urgent Care services are running as normal over the Christmas and New Year period. Some of our other services have different operating hours. Please see the table below for details:
| Addiction Services | 9am – 5pm, except public holidays. |
| Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) | 9am – 8pm Monday to Friday except for weekends which will be 9am – 5pm. Solihull AOT will work 9am – 5pm throughout the Christmas and New Year period. |
| Birmingham Healthy Minds | Normal operating hours, closed on public holidays. |
| Community Mental Health Team | 9am – 5pm, closed on weekends and public holidays. |
| Health Exchange | 9am – 5pm, closed on weekends and public holidays. |
| The Juniper Centre, Reservoir Court and Ashcroft | Open normal hours (please note reception is closed on public holidays.) |
| Single Point Of Access (SPOA) | 8am – 7.30pm, closed on public holidays. |
| Specialist Psychotherapies Services | Both sites will be closed on public holidays. |
Customer Relations (PALS) opening times over Christmas and New Year
Customer Relations phone lines will close on Tuesday 24 December at 1pm*. The service will operate between 8am and 4pm on Friday 27 December through to Tuesday 31 December* and re-open at 8am on Thursday 2 January 2024 resuming for operational hours of 8am to 4pm.
*Phone lines will be closed; however, we remain contactable via email 8am – 4pm bsmhft.customerrelations@nhs.net.
Contacting us at other times
If you, or someone you know, uses our services, and needs to contact us outside of opening hours, please contact our 24-hour switchboard on 0121 301 0000 for non-urgent assistance.
Advice and support
For further advice and support over the festive period, please see the links below:
Seasonal vaccinations and winter health
Bank Holiday pharmacy opening times in Birmingham and Solihull
The Waiting Room – Birmingham and Solihull and Wellbeing services at your finger tips
If you are celebrating Christmas, then we wish you a happy, healthy, and enjoyable Christmas and New Year.
Published: 12 December 2024
