21.04.2026
Help others understand health advice and receive a £25 voucher
Pharmacy opening times in South Tyneside over the 2025 Christmas period (Thursday December 25, Friday December 26, and Thursday January 1).
South Shields pharmacies
Jarrow pharmacies
Boldon Colliery pharmacies
Hebburn pharmacies
Before visiting
Please ring the pharmacy before attending. If you need advice out of hours, call 111.
For more local pharmacy opening hours, go to Urgent or Emergency.
Visit NHS Choices for medical advice and to find the right service.
Can the pharmacist help with your symptoms?
The pharmacist is an excellent source of advice for many common problems such as:
- lower back pain
- eczema
- heartburn and indigestion
- constipation
- headache
- acne (spots)
- sprains and strains
- sore throat
- ear ache
- common cold and sinusitis
Visit Treat Yourself Better for more information, advice and warning signs to look out for which may suggest you do need a GP appointment or medical attention.
Source: https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/14394/Christmas-Pharmacy-opening-times
Families rated the care they received in hospital after the birth of their baby higher at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) than any other Trust across the whole of the North East and Yorkshire region at 8.4 out of 10.
Postnatal care at STSFT was also rated the best in the region at 9.0 out of 10.
The national CQC survey measures how satisfied people are with their maternity care. It looks at people’s experiences of services as they prepared for the arrival of their baby, the delivery and what support they were given following the birth.
The results for STSFT show continued improvement for local maternity services, building on last year’s excellent results. The latest feedback from patients and families shows STSFT is achieving better than expected results compared to the rest of the NHS in England.
One of the biggest areas of improvement is around the support offered from midwives to parents when feeding their baby. The results show families rated their experience in South Tyneside and Sunderland as ‘much better’ than most other Trusts in two key areas:
|
STSFT score
|
National average
|
|
|
Decisions about how to feed a baby were respected by midwives
|
9.8 out of 10
(2024 score 9.1)
|
9
|
|
Advice on feeding being available at evenings, nights or weekends
|
8.6 out of 10
(2024 score 6.5)
|
6.3
|
Local maternity teams also scored ‘better’ than most other Trusts in eight other areas covering all parts of the maternity care pathway. This included getting enough support for mental health during pregnancy, the care received in hospital after birth and many aspects of postnatal care:
|
Better than most other Trusts for:
|
STSFT score
|
National average
|
|
|
Antenatal care
|
Midwives and doctors being aware of medical histories
|
8.1 out of 10
|
7.1
|
|
Getting enough support for mental health
|
9.6 out of 10
|
9.0
|
|
|
Care in hospital
|
A partner or loved one was involved as much as they wanted
|
9.9 out of 10
|
9.5
|
|
Pain management after the birth
|
8.8 out of 10
|
7.8
|
|
|
Postnatal care
|
Getting help from a midwife when needed
|
9.1 out of 10
|
8.6
|
|
Getting information about physical recovery after birth
|
8.0 out of 10
|
6.9
|
|
|
Getting help and advice from midwives about feeding in the four weeks after birth
|
8.2 out of 10
|
7.1
|
|
|
Getting help and advice from midwives about baby’s progress in the four weeks after birth
|
8.5 out of 10
|
7.9
|
|
Jane Anderson, Director of Midwifery at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted and reassured that such positive feedback has been given by families who have used our maternity services this year.
“To see such strong results, with some of the best scores across the whole NHS, is testament to our teams and recognition of the care we offer. Our community midwives and hospital teams work very hard to support families and make sure they have a good experience at such a special and important time.
“Colleagues working in all areas of maternity have worked incredibly hard over recent years to improve our service offer and we are very grateful for their support and dedication. We now want to keep improving further with the aim of being excellent in all areas of our care. This feedback is key in helping us to do that.”
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has invested over £6 million over the past two years to upgrade its maternity facilities. The full refurbishment of all 30 delivery suite rooms at Sunderland Royal Hospital will complete in Spring next year.
The 2025 maternity survey involved 119 NHS Trusts in England. To see the full results visit: Maternity survey 2025
The call comes as the Trust prepares for the confirmed industrial action from resident doctors which will start at 7am on Wednesday December 17 and run to 7am on Monday December 22.
Healthcare leaders at STSFT are already geared up for the busiest time of the year with hospitals and community teams prepared for the increased pressure on services. Plans are also in place to make sure care is safely delivered during the period of strike action.
Like other NHS organisations across the country, STSFT is seeing high levels of patients who have flu and other respiratory illnesses. Last week, it reintroduced mask wearing for staff, patients and visitors. It is also urging people to clean their hands and leave germs at the door.
The Trust has now issued further guidance for patients and their loved ones:
- If you are feeling unwell, please don’t visit a loved one in hospital or any other care setting.
- If you take regular prescription medicines, please contact your GP and make sure you have enough to cover Christmas and New Year.
- Please make sure you stock up on any over the counter medicines so you can treat any minor illnesses and injuries yourself. Items which can be useful to have to hand during the bank holidays are paracetamol, indigestion relief and anti-diarrhoea tablets.
The Trust is also reminding people how to access help when they need it:
Think pharmacy first – pharmacists are experts. They can offer advice on a range of illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections and aches and pains. They can also give advice about medicines and suggest treatments that do not need a prescription for a range of conditions. Local pharmacy opening times are available here: Find a pharmacy
Use NHS 111 (24/7) – If you think you need medical help right now, 111 online can tell you what to do next and the best place to get the quickest treatment Get help for your symptoms – NHS 111.
People who live in South Tyneside and Sunderland can also use the Trust’s new Care Co-ordination Hub (24/7) to get help for any adult patients already being cared for in the community. You can call 0191 565 6100 to get help 24/7, including bank holidays.
The Care Coordination Hub in South Tyneside and Sunderland is now the main contact point for all adult community nursing teams. It brings together a host of community services to support patients and helps ensure hospital beds are available for those who need them.
Sheena Fish is the Trust’s Divisional Director of Operations. Commenting on the upcoming resident doctor action this week, she said: “We want to reassure people that we have robust plans in place during this week’s industrial action.
“If you have a planned appointment with us, please attend this as usual unless you have heard directly from us to advise you otherwise. We have been working hard to minimise disruption for patients and make sure we can continue to deliver safe care.”
Dr Shaz Wahid, the Trust’s Executive Medical Director, added: “The public can really help us as we safely manage through this period of strike action and the busy festive period.
“We ask that you follow our advice to seek help from your pharmacist or use the NHS 111 service if you need urgent help but are not sure where to go. This is by far the quickest way to access services. It also means we can make sure those with serious or life-threatening problems get quick access to hospital care.
“We are already facing a very busy time because of flu and other respiratory illnesses and that’s why we have reintroduced mask wearing to help stop the spread of germs. This will remain in place until at least the end of January and I urge everyone to support us as we try to keep everyone safe.”
We are launching a survey of young people to find out their views on mental health services in South Tyneside, including new provision in schools to support emotional wellbeing.
The short online questionnaire asks about who you turn to if you are struggling with emotional health and well-being, how you would rate mental health support in the borough and suggestions for improvements.
If you are – or you know – a young person aged under 25 who has accessed mental health services in the borough, please complete this survey/share the link with them:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TNPRJJ8
Everyone who takes part will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a £50 Amazon voucher.
With rates of flu increasing and other winter illnesses spreading in the local community, healthcare leaders at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have put new preventative measures in place until the end of January.
It means anyone coming to its main hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland as well as key other community sites (see below) will need to wear a face mask and clean their hands:
- Sunderland Eye Infirmary
- Durham Treatment CentreHoughton Intermediate Care Assessment and Rehabilitation (ICAR)
- St Benedict’s Hospice
- Palmer Community Hospital
- Sunderland Children’s Centre
Community nursing teams who visit patients at home, in care homes and in other settings like schools, will also wear a face mask when going about their caring duties.
Dr Shaz Wahid, the Trust’s Medical Director, explained why the Trust is taking these steps now: “We are already seeing the impact of flu and other respiratory illnesses both on our staff and our patients. We are taking these steps now to do all we can to prevent the spread of infection this winter.
“People can often have very mild flu symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all and this means they pass germs on without being aware of it. Wearing a face mask is proven to reduce the risk of germs spreading and this is vital in healthcare settings.”
The message from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is not only about face masks. The Trust is getting back to basics with the launch of its ‘clean hands’ campaign to remind everyone to make sure their hands are clean. This is one of the most important and simple ways to stop the spread of germs.
Dr Shaz Wahid added: “We also want to remind everyone how important it is to clean your hands. This is one of the simplest and most important ways to stop germs spreading and we all have a part to play.
“We have lots of hand hygiene stations and signage in place in our sites for you to clean your hands and help us keep you, our patients and your loved ones safe and healthy. We really appreciate everyone’s support over the weeks ahead to keep everyone safe.”
Healthcare leaders in South Tyneside and Sunderland say they are taking these vital preventive steps now to protect everyone as it prepares for the busiest time of the year for the NHS. The Trust is urging all those eligible for the flu vaccine to get this as soon as possible. Anyone feeling unwell is also asked to stay away from visiting loved ones who are in hospital.
The Trust’s mask wearing measures will stay in place until at least the end of January.
Source: https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/news/latest-news/clean-your-hands-and-wear-facemask-stop-spread-germs
People are being reminded to avoid any last-minute panics by ordering urgent repeat prescriptions well in advance and ensuring they have a well-stocked medicine cabinet for any minor illnesses, or injuries, over the Christmas holidays.
Professor Ewan Maule, director of medicines, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said:” It’s vital, especially for people with long-term conditions, to have enough medication to last right through the holidays.
“GP practices will be closed over Christmas, and it can take up to 72 hours for repeat prescriptions to be processed. Many pharmacies will also be shut from Wednesday 24 December, and won’t reopen until Saturday 27 December, so ordering repeat prescriptions by Thursday 18 December is strongly advised – if you want to avoid any last-minute panic.
“A few simple steps now could save a lot of stress later.”
As part of the ‘winter ready’ message, alongside ordering prescriptions, people are also being encouraged to stock-up their medicine cabinets with some basic essentials.
“While you’re grabbing those final Christmas bits, make sure you pick up some everyday over-the counter medicines too,” added Professor Maule.
“Paracetamol for adults and children, plasters, indigestion relief and anti-diarrhoeal tablets can all help you manage many minor illnesses or scrapes at home, and if you’re unsure what you need, your local pharmacist can always help.”
For urgent health care advice over the festive bank holidays, when GP practices are closed, people are being encouraged to contact NHS 111 online, or by phone, and are being reminded to keep accident and emergency departments free for life threatening injuries and illnesses only.
Local pharmacy opening times are available here: Find a pharmacy
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