Urgent and Emergency

If you need urgent medical help but it's not a life-threatening situation, you can call NHS 111. For example, if you:

• think you need to go to hospital
• don't know who to call for medical help
• don't have a GP to call
• need medical advice or reassurance about what to do next

When you call 111, a trained adviser will ask you questions to find out what's wrong, give you medical advice and direct you to someone who can help you, like an out-of-hours doctor or a community nurse.

If the adviser thinks your condition is more serious, they'll direct you to hospital or send an ambulance. If you don’t speak English, tell the adviser what language you want to speak and they will get you an interpreter. You can call 111 any time of the day. The call is free from landlines and mobiles.

Please call 999.

You should only call 999 in an emergency, for example, when someone's life is at risk, someone is seriously injured, or critically ill.