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When to Use NHS 111

Key Information

First Point of Contact: NHS 111 is for urgent medical problems that are not life-threatening emergencies.
Available 24/7: You can use NHS 111 at any time, day or night.
When to Use It: Use NHS 111 if you need medical help quickly but are not sure what to do, your GP surgery is closed, or you need urgent health advice.
How to Contact: Call 111 from any phone or visit 111.nhs.uk.
What They Can Do: NHS 111 can provide self-care advice, connect you to a clinician, or book an appointment at an urgent treatment centre or A&E.

When you contact NHS 111, a trained advisor will ask questions to assess your symptoms and situation.

This helps them direct you to the most appropriate service, so you receive the right medical help.

Using NHS 111 first for urgent problems also helps keep 999 and A&E available for genuine life-threatening emergencies.

If someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, call 999 immediately.

This includes symptoms such as:

For more detailed information on when to use NHS 111, please visit the official NHS website.

Last reviewed: 05 October 2025
Next review due: 05 October 2028