Ensure you follow national and regional COVID restrictions over the festive period. It’s important to follow the relevant guidance to keep our community safe and protect the NHS over Christmas, New Year and beyond. Find out more on the GOV website, here.

It’s important that if you feel you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, you have a test. You can book your test through the GOV.uk website, here.

Click here to view the opening times for testing sites in Blackburn with Darwen.

We understand that having a friend or family member stay in hospital over Christmas can be difficult, but unfortunately, our visitor restrictions must remain in place over the festive period.

Friends or family members in our hospitals cannot be part of your ‘Christmas bubble’. Click here to view our visitor restrictions in full.

Please do not attend the hospital site to attempt to gain access to our clinical areas – you will be unable to do so.

The drop-off service will be running on the following dates:

Please note:

• We are operating a weekend service at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital ONLY. All other sites operate Monday - Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
• The service will be running on Christmas Day at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital ONLY. There will be no service available at the other sites.

Patient drop-off locations:

Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital - Level 2 Entrance (near the Grane Restaurant).
Burnley General Teaching Hospital - Reception Desk, Phase 5, Area 7
Pendle Community Hospital - Main Reception space
Clitheroe Community Hospital - Reception Desk, Chatburn Road

Please do not attend to drop-off patient items when the service is not running as we will be unable to accept them. For details of what essential belongings can be packed, click here.

In a medical emergency, always call 999. However, NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. To get help from NHS 111, you can:

• go to www.111.nhs.uk (for people aged 5 and over only)
• call 111 from a mobile or landline

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Click here to view pharmacy opening times across East Lancashire.

Please note, the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital will be closed from 8:30pm Christmas Eve (24 December 2020) until 8:30am on Tuesday 29 December 2020.

The Urgent Care Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, and Emergency Department (A&E) at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, will remain open.

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The festive period affects us all differently and may be difficult after such a challenging year.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust has a 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line, available seven days a week on calling 0800 953 0110. It is staffed by trained mental health professionals who are able to provide assessment and referrals to appropriate services – call if you need to access services or for advice about someone who needs treatment/support.

There is also a Wellbeing Helpline and Texting Service, staffed by volunteers and those with lived experience, offering emotional support – call if you want to chat about your mental health on 0800 915 4640 or by texting ‘Hello’ to 07860 022846.

Click here to access the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust Help Hub.

This year, we are unable to accept donations of gifts, purchased and donated by members of the public, due to infection control guidelines. If you do attend the hospital site with gifts to donate, you will be turned away.

Please click here to find out more about our official charity, ELHT&Me, and how to support us virtually.