THE CHRISTMAS period can be a perfect time for germs to spread.

It’s winter, the house is full of people and you’re eating and drinking for England. Children giddy to get to open presents can miss their stockings – and fall out of bed.

And it can be hard to know where to go when things go wrong and a relative falls ill.

Health chiefs have urged people to stay well over the Christmas period, warning that medical services like GP surgeries and pharmacies may shut between Christmas and New Year.

Gill May, executive nurse at Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “At this time of year, with so many preparations underway for festive season celebrations, it is important we prepare to stay well and look after ourselves."

“With several consecutive public holidays during the Christmas and New Year periods you need to be aware of services you can access.”

Whch pharmacies will be open over the Christmas period?

Facechoice Pharmacy in Freshbrook, Hawthorn Pharmacy in Gorse Hill and Peatmoor's Sparcells Pharmacy will be open on Christmas Day.

Fiona Castle, chief officer of Swindon and Wiltshire Local Pharmaceutical Committee, said: “Pharmacists and their teams are well placed to offer advice and treatment for common Christmas ailments like colds, flu, indigestion and hangoverst. They can also provide support for your New Year resolutions, such as stopping smoking."

ASDA Pharmacy, Orbital Shopping Park, Thamesdown Drive. Tel: 01793 707801

Christmas Eve: 10am-4pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 9am-6pm; New Year’s Eve: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Day: 10am-4pm.

ASDA Pharmacy, West Swindon District Centre, Tewkesbury Way. Tel: 01793 758010

Christmas Eve: 10am-4pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 9am-6pm; New Year’s Eve: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Day: 10am-6pm.

Boots, 3 Brunel Plaza, town centre. Tel: 01793 536347

Christmas Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 9am-5pm; New Year’s Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; New Year’s Day: 10am-5pm.

Boots, Orbital Shopping Park, Thamesdown Drive. Tel: 01793 728569

Christmas Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 8.30am-6pm; New Year’s Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; New Year’s Day: 10.30am-4.30pm.

Boots, Greenbridge Retail Park, Stratton Road. Tel: 01793 525723

Christmas Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 8.30am-6pm; New Year’s Eve: 10.30am-4.30pm; New Year’s Day: 10.30am-4.30pm.

Boots, High Street, Cricklade. Tel: 01793 750226.

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Boots, High Street, Royal Wootton Bassett. Tel: 01793 852364

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

CML Jones & Partner, 102 High Street, Royal Wootton Bassett. Tel: 01793 854450

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Facechoice Pharmacy, Freshbrook. Tel: 01793 870226

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: 1pm-6pm; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Hawthorn Pharmacy, 261 Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill. Tel: 01793522430

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: 10am-2pm; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Homeground Pharmacy, North Swindon Practice, Thames Avenue. Tel: 01793 727866

Christmas Eve: 8am-6pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: 8am-6pm; New Year’s Day: closed.

Lloyds Pharmacy, Sainsburys Bridgemead. Tel: 01793 420046

Christmas Eve: 10am-4pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 9am-5pm; New Year’s Eve: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Day: 9am-5pm.

Lloyds Pharmacy, Sainsburys, Oxford Road, Stratton St Margaret. Tel: 01793 831706

Christmas Eve: 10am-4pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 9am-5pm; New Year’s Eve: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Day: 9am-5pm.

Lloyds Pharmacy, The Parade, Purton. Tel: 01793 770294

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Lloyds Pharmacy, Boroughfields Shopping Centre, Royal Wootton Bassett. Tel: 01793 852472

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Morrisons Pharmacy, Thames Avenue. Tel: 01793 705322

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: 10am-4pm.

Sparcells Pharmacy, Midwinter Close, Peatmoor. Tel: 01793 877760

Christmas Eve: closed; Christmas Day: 12pm-4pm; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: closed; New Year’s Day: closed.

Swindon Pharmacy, Hawthorn Medical Centre, May Close. Tel: 01793 976363

Christmas Eve: 8am-9pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: 8am-9pm; New Year’s Day: closed.

Tesco, Ocotal Way. Tel: 01793 304066

Christmas Eve: 10am-4pm; Christmas Day: closed; Boxing Day: closed; New Year’s Eve: 10am-4pm; New Year’s Day: closed.

Full details of pharmacy opening times over Christmas and the New Year have been published by NHS England.

What's open? GP surgeries, walk-in centres

The Swindon NHS walk-in centre on Islington Street will be open every day over Christmas, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, 8am-6pm.

The Urgent Care Centre will be open every day, 24 hours a day. The nurse-led clinic can treat sprains and strains, minor burns, minor eye injuries and wound infections. The centre is based at the main Great Western Hospital site.

Most GP surgeries will be shut from Saturday, December 23, to Wednesday, December 27.

The Sexual Health Centre at the Great Western Hospital will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. However, it is open on Wednesday, December 27, 9.30am-5pm, Thursday, December 28, 1pm-6.30pm, and Friday, December 29, 9am-11am.

Swindon CCG have published details about where to go for help with your health if you don't have a GP appointment.

Nurse Gill May's tips for keeping well at Christmas

:: If you have a repeat prescription, remember to make sure you have sufficient supplies to cover bank holidays.

:: If you need to stock up repeat prescriptions call your GP surgery or pharmacy before you visit – and tell them exactly what you need.

:: Buy “general” medicines, such as painkillers, hangover and indigestion remedies and colds medicines.

:: Keep warm, particularly if you are older.

:: If you feel unwell don’t wait until the New Year to get medical help. Most pharmacists are able to offer health advice.

:: If you are vomiting or have diarrhoea do not visit relatives in hospital or care homes as you may be suffering from norovirus. Wait until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have passed before visiting hospital.

:: Call handlers on the NHS 111 non-emergency helpline can also give health advice.

:: Samaritans phone lines are open throughout Christmas. They can be reached on 01793 53 73 73 (local charges apply) or 116 123 (freephone).

Gill May of Swindon CCG added: “We want people to enjoy themselves this Christmas and New Year, and with a little bit of health planning, there is no reason why that should not be the case.

“We know people are busy, but looking out for neighbours who may be elderly and perhaps spending Christmas alone and checking they are safe and well really helps.

“We are grateful to those families and friends supporting patients who are in hospital and now able to come home to do so in a timely way. We need to make sure people who need admission to hospital can be admitted to a bed as soon as possible, so the more discharges we can support the better.”

Feeling bloated? Try these tips

Kris Tallikowski, owner of Old Town juice bar The Core, has ten tips for avoiding Christmas bloating.

1. Have a hearty breakfast. Starting the day right is important. Poached egg and avocado will kick-start your morning.

2. Eat little and often. Instead of gorging on huge meals which are harder to digest, eating low-calorie foods in small bursts can help you stay satisfied.

3. Ease off the alcohol which contains yeast and sugar. He advises having some healthy juices in the run up to and after a heavy night out. One of his favourites is a carrot, lime, avocado, strawberry and mango smoothie.

4. Make healthy food more appealing. The key to staying on top of things is making food taste good.

5. Think of your body as a machine. Food is fuel. Ask yourself what your body needs then feed it the right nutrients to keep it on top form.

6. Detox away your gastronomical sins. Kris recommends charcoal tablets to absorb the toxins in your body. Steering clear of caffeine, dairy, gluten and sugar is a bonus.

7. Go 51 per cent raw.

8. Embrace veganism. There’s a substitute for pretty much all of the foods veganism rules out.

9. Nothing beats a good night’s shut eye

10. Learn more about food. Kris runs workshops once a month to teach people about juicing and how to go raw with their diet.

“I’m not saying don’t enjoy your Christmas party,” said Kris. “But if people are more aware of the effects then the faster they will heal.”

For more, visit: www.thecoreswindon.com.