Please dial 111 or visit https://111.nhs.uk
How the NHS 111 service works
The NHS 111 service is available via the easy to remember, three-digit number – 111. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free and the service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to people’s healthcare needs, when:
you need medical help fast, but it’s not a 999 emergency;
- you don’t know who to call for medical help or you don’t have a GP to call;
- you think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service; or
- you require health information or reassurance about what to do next.
Callers to 111 are put through to a team of highly trained call advisers, who are supported by experienced nurses. They use a clinical assessment system and ask questions to assess callers’ needs and determine the most appropriate course of action, including:
- callers facing an emergency will have an ambulance dispatched without delay;
- callers who can care for themselves will have information, advice and reassurance provided;
- callers requiring further care or advice will be referred to a service that has the appropriate skills and resources to meet their needs; or
- callers requiring services outside the scope of NHS 111 will be provided with details of an alternative service.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
Urgent Care Centres
There are a number of Urgent Care Centres which offer walk in treatment for many minor injuries and ailments. They are open 8am-8pm 7 days a week.
Please click on the below link to read more about what they can treat and what facilities eg X-Ray are available.
*Also please note that St Oswalds Hospital in Ashbourne offers a walk in centre open 8am-4pm at weekends and bank holidays.
