Medical Emergency Contacts

If it can't wait but nobody's life is at risk, call the NHS by ringing 111 for urgent medical help or advice.

• About NHS 111

• Visit NHS 111 BSL interpreter service

• About out-of-hours services

Call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

• About ambulance services

• How and when to dial 999

112 is the standard emergency number in most European countries. You need to be aware of this number if you ever travel abroad in Europe. You should dial 112 whenever somebody's life is at risk, for example if they have suffered a serious injury.

Only go to the A&E in a genuine life-threatening emergency.

• What happens at A&E

• About major trauma services

Get help for minor injury or illness when it’s not possible for you to wait to see your doctor.

• Visit an NHS walk-in centre

• Visit a minor injuries unit or urgent care centre

Please contact your local chemist for advice about common ailments or minor illnesses.

• About pharmacy services

• Find a pharmacy

Make an appointment with your doctor's surgery to discuss any medical concerns that do not require urgent attention.

• About Doctor services

• Choosing a doctor

In an acute mental health emergency or for more general advice, you can get support from various charities who specialise in issues around mental health:

• CALM: The Campaign Against Living Miserably – 0800 58 58 58

• Anxiety UK – 03444 775 774

• Mind - 0300 123 3393

• Samaritans - 116 123

• SANE - 0300 304 7000

• The Mix (for under 25s) – 0808 808 4994

• NHS 111

• NHS online advice on dealing with a crisis or emergency

Find out who to contact in case of a dental emergency:

• Dental emergency advice

• Understanding NHS dental charges

• Dental treatment for people with special needs

The NHS England Customer Contact Centre (0300 311 2233) is who you should ring if you're struggling to find a local dentist who accepts patients on the NHS.

You can call NHS Smokefree on 0300 123 1044 for free help on quitting smoking from a trained expert adviser.

Alternatively, smokers can get in touch with a number of helplines for advice and support. For example:

• Quit Your Way Scotland (for anyone trying to stop smoking in Scotland) – 0800 84 84 84

• British Lung Foundation (for advice about living with a lung condition) – 03000 030 555

• Tommy’s Pregnancy Line (can provide advice on smoking during pregnancy) – 0800 0147 800

About support services and stop smoking aids.

More support services available to contact.

For drug-related issues, your first point of contact should be your doctor. Remember that addicts are entitled to free treatment under the NHS. The following organisations can also provide support:

• Talk to Frank - 0300 123 6600

• The Mix (for under 25s) – 0808 808 4994

• Childline – 0800 1111

Getting help for drug addiction.

Find local drug treatment services.

Find support groups for those with drug problems at Narcotics Anonymous.

Call 0300 123 1110 for free to reach Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline, if you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.

Below are some of the other organisations that can provide help and support with issues relating to alcohol:

• Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain - 0800 917 7650

• Al-Anon (supports people affected by the drinking problems of someone else) - 0800 008 6811

• National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) – 0800 358 3456

• Alcohol Focus Scotland - 0141 572 6700

• National Association for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) - 020 8458 5951

Learn more about treatments for alcohol dependency.

Search for alcohol support services in your area.

If you think you might have picked up a sexually transmitted infection (STI), please ring the National Sexual Health Helpline on 0300 123 7123. They can give you advice and help arrange a test.

Other helplines related to sexual health advice include the following:

• British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) – 03457 30 40 30

• Switchboard: the LGBT+ helpline – 0300 330 0630

• Terrence Higgins Trust (provide support and advice about HIV and sexual health) – 0808 802 1221

Find sexual health clinics near you.

Find contraceptive services near you.

More detailed sexual health advice for lesbian and bisexual women.

More detailed sexual health advice for gay and bisexual men.

You can call the Diabetes UK on 0345 123 2399 charity group for specialist information and advice on all aspects of diabetes. If you’re in Scotland call 0141 212 8710 instead.

We recommend speaking to your doctor if you're having trouble sleeping. You can call NHS 111 if you can't get an appointment or you'd just prefer to talk to someone on the phone.

Helplines available to people with insomnia include the following:

• The Sleep Council – Freephone leaflet line: 0800 018 7923

• British Snoring and Sleep Apnea Association – 01284 717688

These are the people to ring if you want to discuss headaches, migraines or any other kind of physical pain:

• OUCH UK (for support and guidance on Cluster Headaches) – 01646 651 979

• National Migraine Centre - 0207 251 3322

• Brain and Spine Foundation Helpline (run by neuroscience nurses) – 0808 808 1000

• Pain Concern Helpline - 0300 123 0789

• Action on Pain Helpline - 0345 6031593

For information and advice on weight issues, you can contact any of the following helplines:

• HOOP (Helping Overcome Obesity Problems) – 0303 300 0314

• National Centre for Eating Disorders – 0845 838 2040