With this year’s Christmas bank holidays fast approaching, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is encouraging residents to order any repeat medication as soon as possible to ensure they have plenty to see them through the festive period.

As all GP surgeries and the majority of community pharmacies will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, access to dispensaries will be extremely limited over these days and the pharmacy teams in Gwent are asking patients to prepare for their medication needs by ordering them at least a week in advance.

Richard Evans, Community Pharmacy Lead for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said:“Our community pharmacies work extremely hard all year round to meet the needs of local residents and provide them with the best service possible, but the Christmas period can be a particularly busy and demanding time for us as we see a higher number of prescription requests in the weeks before the bank holidays.

“We always ask patients to order their repeat prescriptions at least 7 working days before they need it, but this is particularly important over this busy period, as we will have a higher number of requests to process and we wouldn’t want anyone to be without their regular medication.

“You can help your local pharmacy help you by planning ahead, and if your repeat prescription is due over the Christmas period, please order it in enough time for it to be processed.”

A small proportion of Gwent pharmacies will be open for limited hours over the bank holidays for urgent needs. This timetable is available on the Health Board’s website: Accessing Medical Help in Gwent over the Christmas Period - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Anyone in need of urgent medical help over the Christmas period should visit the Gwent Health Guide to find where they can go for help: Gwent Health Guide - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board