Call 111 when you need urgent medical advice but it’s not an emergency
NHS 111 is a free, non-emergency service you can call when you need medical help but it’s not a life-threatening emergency.
The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When to call 111
You should call 111 when:
- You need medical help quickly but it’s not a life-threatening emergency.
- You’re not sure if you should go to A&E or another NHS care service.
- You don’t know who to call and you don’t have a GP.
- You need health advice or information about what to do next.
For less urgent health needs, you should contact your GP or pharmacist in the usual way.
Calling 111
When you dial 111, you will speak to a fully trained health advisor or clinician who will advise you on the most appropriate action to take.
When you speak to an advisor, they’ll ask:
- Who you are
- Where you’re calling from
- Why you’re calling
- If it’s about you or someone else.
They will also ask specific questions about your symptoms, if you’ve tried to treat them already, if you have any existing medical conditions, and if there’s anything else you think they need to know.
During the call, you may feel that not all the questions are relevant, but they all help the advisor to carry out a thorough assessment and give you the most appropriate healthcare advice or referral.
Advice and referral
At the end of the call, the advisor will recommend what to do next. This could be contacting your GP or attending a local walk-in centre, or it could be going to your nearest A&E or calling an ambulance.
If you need urgent care, NHS 111 can book you in to be seen quickly at your local A&E. If emergency treatment is not needed, but you still need medical treatment, they can book an appointment for you at an urgent treatment centre, GP surgery, pharmacy, emergency dental service or walk-in clinic.
To find out more about NHS 111, you can visit the NHS 111 Website.
Help contacting 111
If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, you can contact NHS 111 by:
- Calling 18001 111 on a text phone.
- Using the NHS 111 British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter service if you’re deaf and want to use the phone service.
- Using 111 as a non-English speaker