Not Well? Need Advice?
Call 111 - Calls are free from both landlines and mobiles. The 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by nurses. They are there to offer advice on the following:
- If you feel you need medical help fast but it is not a 999 emergency.
- If you feel you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service.
- If you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call or if you just need health information and reassurance about what to do next.
They will ask questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you straightaway to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, a walk-in centre or urgent care centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late opening chemist. If you do require an ambulance one will be sent to you just as quickly as if you had dialled 999. This service is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
In a genuine life threatening emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and breathing difficulties constitute an emergency.
