Get free vitamin D

Find out how children under four and people who are pregnant or recently gave birth can get free vitamin D supplements.

A lack of vitamin D can lead to conditions where bones don’t form correctly and that causes bone pain, such as:

rickets in children
osteomalacia in adults

The bones of a child with rickets are unable to support their body weight, resulting in bowed legs or knock knees.

Get free supplements

If you're pregnant, recently gave birth or have a child under four, and live in the borough, you can get free vitamin D supplements.

If you are pregnant, you can make sure you and your developing baby have enough vitamin D by taking supplements. This will help make sure your baby is born with enough stores of vitamin D for the first few months of life.

If you don't get enough vitamin D when you are pregnant, there is a higher risk your child will develop a vitamin D deficiency.

How to get free vitamin D supplements

You can register to get free vitamin D from most community pharmacies and children's centres across the borough if you:

are pregnant
have recently given birth
have a child under four years old

After your baby is born, you can still get free vitamin D supplements for a year, and your child can get free vitamin D drops until they are four years old.

Where to get free vitamin D

Pharmacies and family hubs in the borough that offer free vItamin D supplements:

Bellingham

Bellingham Family Hub, 109 Randlesdown Road, SE6 3HB

Blackheath

Paydens Pharmacy, 16 Montpelier Vale, SE3 0TA

Brockley

Amin Pharmacy,291 Brockley Road, SE4 2SA
Osbon Pharmacy, 179–181 Lewisham Way, SE4 1UY

Bromley

Downham Family Hub (previously Downderry Children's Centre), Shroffold Road, BR1 5PD

Catford

Vantage Pharmacy, 108 Conisborough Crescent, SE6 2SQ

Deptford

Lockyers Pharmacy, 252 Evelyn Street, SE8 5BZ
Nightingale Pharmacy, 134 Deptford High Street, SE8 3PQ
Pepys Pharmacy, 2 Golden Hind Place, Grove Street, SE8 3QG
Deptford Family Hub (previously Clyde Early Childhood Centre), Alverton Street, SE8 5NH

Downham

Brownes Chemist, 481–483 Bromley Road, BR1 4PQ
Duncans Chemist, 24 Bromley Hill, BR1 4JX
Day Lewis Pharmacy, 443 Downham Way, BR1 5HS

Forest Hill

Boots UK Ltd, 21–23 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Medicos Pharmacy, 197 Stanstead Road, SE23 1HU
Eliot Bank Family Hub, Thorpewood Avenue, SE26 4BY - call 020 3924 2383 before collection

Grove Park

Grove Park Pharmacy, 344 Baring Road, SE12 0DU
Harris Pharmacy, 272 Baring Road, SE12 0EF

Hither Green

Widdicombe Chemist, 220 Hither Green Lane, SE13 6RT
Woodlands Pharmacy, 4 Edwin Hall Place, Hither Green Lane, SE13 6RN

Honor Oak

Honor Oak Youth and Family Hub, 50 Turnham Road, Honor Oak, SE4 2JD - vitamins available Monday and Tuesday only

Ladywell

Ladywell Pharmacy, Hilly Fields Medical Centre, 174 Adelaide Avenue, SE4 1JN
Ladywell Family Hub, 30 Rushey Mead, SE4 1JJ

Lee

Brook Pharmacy, 109 Chinbrook Road, SE12 9QL
Gokul Chemists, 53 Baring Road, SE12 0JS
Lee Pharmacy, 19 Burnt Ash Hill, SE12 0AA
Lewisham Pharmacy, 324 Lee High Road, SE13 5PJ

Lee Green

Lords Pharmacy, 11 Burnt Ash Road, SE12 8RG
Baum Pharmacy, 10–12 Manor Park Parade, SE13 5PB
Rains Pharmacy, Unit 52, 9 Staplehurst Road, SE13 5ND

Lewisham

Lewis Grove Pharmacy, 1 Lewis Grove, SE13 6BG
Sheel Pharmacy, 296–298 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6JZ
Sheel Pharmacy, 312–314 Lewisham Road, SE13 7PA

New Cross

New Cross Pharmacy, Waldron Health Centre, SE14 6LD
Station Pharmacy, 2 Amersham Vale, SE14 6LD

Perry Hill

Sparkes Pharmacy, 9b St Georges Parade, SE6 4DT

Sydenham

Boots UK Ltd, 55 Sydenham Road, SE26 5EX
Makepeace Pharmacy, 264 Kirkdale, SE26 4RS
Perfucare, 136 Kirkdale, SE26 4BB
Wise Chemist, 363 Sydenham Road, SE26 5SL

Other ways to get vitamin D

Vitamin D from the sun

find out more information about vitamin D on the NHS website

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Most people can make enough vitamin D from:

being in the sun daily for short periods with their arms, hands or lower legs uncovered without sunscreen
April to September, especially between 11am–3pm

The amount of time people need in the sun to make enough vitamin D is a new word or phrase for every person. If you have African, African-Caribbean or South Asian heritage, you will need to spend longer in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D as someone with lighter skin.

Children under six months old should be kept out of direct strong sunlight.

From March to October in the UK, children should:

cover up with suitable clothing, including wearing a hat and wraparound sunglasses
spend time in the shade (particularly 11am–3pm)
wear at least SPF15 sunscreen

Babies and children under five should be given vitamin D supplements even if they get out in the sun.

You should avoid sunburn. Cover up with clothing or protect your skin with sunscreen before your skin starts to turn red or burn. Staying in the sun for long periods without protection increases your risk of skin cancer.

You can get tips to help you protect your skin in the sun from Cancer Research UK.

Vitamin D in food

Vitamin D is found naturally in some foods, including oily fish such as:

mackerel
sardines
salmon
trout

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding you should eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week, where each portion is 140g.

Other vitamin D food sources include:

red meat
liver (avoid if you are pregnant)
egg yolks
another source of vitamin D
fortified foods e.g. breakfast cereals and fat spreads

Most people find it difficult to get the recommended amount of vitamin D from just food.

Vitamin D supplements

Children under four and people who are pregnant or recently gave birth should take vitamin D supplements. You can get free vitamin D supplements if you live in the borough.

What might put you at risk of not getting enough vitamin D

You are at higher risk of not getting enough vitamin D if you:

aren't often exposed to the sun
wear clothes that cover up most of your skin when outdoors
are of Asian, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern descent
are overweight

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in children

Some signs of low levels of vitamin D in children include:

bone and muscle pain
thickening of the ankles, wrists and knees, bowed legs and soft skull bones
delays in teeth appearing
muscle weakness which can cause difficulties getting up from a chair, climbing stairs or delayed walking

Severe vitamin D deficiency can cause low levels of calcium in the blood, leading to:

to muscle cramps
twitching
tingling in the hands and feet
seizures and breathing difficulties

Published on: 30/09/2026