NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right now.
You can get help from NHS 111:
- by using 111 online
- in the NHS App
- by calling 111
111 can direct you to the best place to get help if you cannot contact your GP during the day, or when your GP is closed (out-of-hours).
Depending on what you need, you might be advised to:
- call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency
- go to an urgent treatment centre
- see an evening and weekend GP (out-of-hours GP)
- book a callback from a nurse
- get urgent specialist support, for dental or mental health problems
- contact your own GP surgery
- see a pharmacist for help with a minor illness
- look after yourself safely at home
Get help online
111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Answer questions about your symptoms on the website or in the NHS App and you will be told what to do next.
Find out how 111 online works in detail.
Emergency prescriptions
You can get an emergency supply of regularly prescribed medicine from 111 online for someone of any age.
Dental problems
111 online can help with dental problems. This might mean finding a dentist, or an emergency dentist if there is availability in your area.
What 111 online cannot do
111 online cannot:
- issue fit notes – you need to contact your GP
- make or cancel appointments for you in other parts of the NHS
111 online asks for feedback, but this is only used to help improve the service.
111 online is unable to respond to requests for medical help left as feedback.
Get help on the phone
Call 111 instead if you:
- need help for a child under 5
- have complex problems caused by an existing medical condition
- have a care plan from your doctor for your current health problem
- need to get end-of-life care
Find out what happens when you call 111.
Waiting for a callback from a 111 nurse
Depending on your symptoms, you may have been offered a callback from a nurse when you used 111. You cannot request one.
The time you will wait is based on the symptoms you told 111 about. The callback service is usually busier at weekends and on bank holidays.
People with the most serious symptoms are called back first.
If you booked a callback using 111 online
The confirmation page describes what will happen next and what you should do if your symptoms get worse while you are waiting.
If you are waiting for a callback from the 111 telephone service
You are in a queue. You do not need to contact 111 again unless your symptoms have changed or got worse.
If your symptoms get worse while you are waiting
Call 111 for children under 5. Anyone over the age of 5 can check their symptoms online or call 111.
If you have signs of a life-threatening illness or have tried to end your life, call 999 now.
If you miss the call
A nurse will try and call you up to 3 times. If they cannot contact you they will leave a message, but you will not be able to call them back.
You will have to use 111 online or call 111 again and start from the beginning.
You cannot cancel the call
A nurse needs to check you're ok. If you feel better or have got help elsewhere, tell the nurse when they call.
Other ways to contact 111
Text relay
Call 18001 111 using text relay, 24 hours a day.
British sign language (BSL)
Help in other languages
Call 111 and ask for an interpreter.
How to get urgent medical help elsewhere in the UK
- Scotland – NHS 24 111
- Wales – NHS 111 Wales
- Northern Ireland – nidirect: advice about illnesses and conditions