Having an action plan during an emergency is crucial anywhere you find yourself. When you travel abroad, the emergency numbers and protocols you’re used to changes. So, take care to note down every detail in this guide, and the important phone numbers should be written on a note pad or saved on your phone before travelling. With this, you can get help in the UK, be it medical, police, or other kinds of aid.
Important emergency numbers
- Call 999 – For all the primary emergency services in the UK such as ambulance, fire, and police, dial 999
- Call 111 – 6 years ago, this number became the new contact for urgent but non-serious medical help. So, whether you’re sick, need a doctor, or confused about how to get a doctor, call 111. Get more information about this number as you read.
Other medical emergencies
There are indeed cases where one may not need emergency service but rather an advice. Should you need medical advice prior to or instead of calling emergency services like an ambulance or paramedics, you can simply:
- Visit any GP’s office (known in the UK as GP’s surgeries) during office hours. Even if most of them will be attending to scheduled appointments, you will get an on-call doctor for consultation
- Go to a walk-in-medical centre. They are usually located at the main rail stations and airports. These outfits are run privately and collect fees, but you don’t need an appointment to see a doctor.
- Visit a hospital emergency room (known as Accident and Emergency, A&E department in the UK). It’s referred to as casualty in some hospitals. Here, emergency medical services are free of charge for anyone from any part of the world. But if you seek further medical attention like hospital admission, clinic visit, follow-up and the likes, you will have to pay for it.
Not sure of what to do, call 111
If you need urgent medical attention that is not life-threatening, dial 111; it’s free from mobile phones and landlines. There is a trained adviser supported by nurses and doctors that will attend to your call. They will ask you a series of questions to determine your present situation and the kind of help you might need. You may get recommendations like transferring you directly to appropriate medical help, ambulance arrangements, advice on late-night pharmacies and out-of-hours doctors, providing you with a phone number to call, or any other useful medical referrals. Should you not be qualified for free medical services under the NHS, you will have to pay for every progressive medical care. You don’t have to pay when using this service; the phone call and advice are free of charge. Should you be a visitor, it is the fastest way to get medical help. Feel free to dial 111 for mild medical cases, when you can’t make a doctor’s appointment, or you don’t know any doctor.
How 111 works
This service is designed to ascertain at once if you and/or your companion are in a life-threatening situation. You will be asked some questions to ascertain your present well-being and needs. From your response, the 111 operator will deem it necessary to transfer you to a triage nurse.
You don’t have to worry as they will have your number and will not lose touch with you. If your nurse sense that you are in a life-threatening situation, they will muster all the help they can get by sending you an ambulance or to an emergency room, or any other relevant aid. In fact, all the help you need medically and of course in a life-threatening situation will be provided. Most interestingly, they are all free of charge. However, if you need a clinic visit, non-emergency treatment, hospital admission, medication and all that, you will have to pay for it. Ensure you have your traveler’s insurance on you. You can click here now to book a doctor for emergency care.
Insider info
There is the provision of private emergency doctors in some hotels for visitors who fall sick while in the UK. Paying for this medical service may be unusually expensive. Your insurance may not be able to cover it as well. So, in a case like this, try and get to any Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit close by and get initial emergency treatment free of charge. With this information, your visit to the UK becomes hassle-free.
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