Help with an urgent health need

NHS 111 is a free NHS non-emergency service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by dialling 111 or seeking help online at www.111.nhs.uk

How can NHS 111 help me?

The NHS 111 service is there to help if:

• you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation where you would need to call 999
• you need health information, reassurance or advice about what to do or where to go for help – including if you think you might need to go to A&E or another urgent care service but don’t know for sure.

How do I know if I need to call 999 or 111?

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. To see more information, visit the NHS website.

How do I access NHS 111?

To get help from NHS 111 you can:

• dial 111 on your phone (calls are free even from smartphones)
• go to the nhs.uk website (for people aged 5 and over only)

How do I access NHS 111 phone service if I am deaf?

If you’re deaf and want to use the phone service, you can use the NHS 111 British Sign Language service by calling 18001 111 on a textphone.

You can also get help from NHS 111 using a BSL interpreter by visiting https://signvideo.co.uk/nhs111/. Using your computer and webcam or the app you can download via the website, you can make a video call to a BSL interpreter. The interpreter will phone an NHS 111 adviser and relay your conversation with them. The NHS 111 BSL interpreter service is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This video will explain more.

How do I access the NHS 111 service if English is not my first language?

Translation services are available. For help in other languages, dial 111 and ask for an interpreter.

What happens when I call NHS 111?

Calls to 111 are answered by highly trained advisors who are supported by healthcare professionals such as GPs, nurses and paramedics. The advisor will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms. You will then either be given advice or treatment information by the advisor or directed to the local service that can help you best. If necessary, the advisor will get the appropriate health professional to call you back and speak to you.

Depending on your needs, this could be:

• A chemist or pharmacist who can give you the medicines or creams you need to treat yourself at home
• Your regular GP or an out-of-hours doctor
• A walk-in centre such as an urgent treatment centre or minor injuries unit
• A community nurse
• Anemergency dentist (follow this link for more information)
• A&E if you have an issue such as severe chest pain, breathing difficulties or severe bleeding
• If the NHS 111 advisor thinks you need an ambulance, they will arrange for one to be sent to you
• Where possible, and if needed, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment with a health professional (such as an out-of-hours GP).
• If necessary, arrival slots can also be booked at A&E and urgent treatment centres to cut down on waiting times.

NHS 111 online

NHS 111 online provides help and advice for people aged 5 and over only. Visit www.111.nhs.uk to access the service.

NHS 111 online uses the same clinical algorithms as the 111 phone service, taking you through questions about your symptoms to receive tailored advice on what to do next and where to go. Sometimes you may think these questions are not relevant, but they have been carefully designed to help the advisor recommend the right course of action for you.

You can access NHS 111 online on a smartphone, tablet or computer – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – and if needed, you will be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist or GP.

Guides to the NHS 111 service

Here are some helpful accessible guides to using the 111 service from the NHS website:

• large print guide to NHS 111 (PDF, 1.8Mb)
• easy read guide to NHS 111 (PDF, 1Mb)
• British Sign Language (BSL) video about NHS 111 on YouTube
• audio guide to NHS 111 on SoundCloud