There are different options
- Call to NHS 111. They are free from both landlines and mobile phones. It is fast, easy and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This service is there for when you need medical help fast and it will not wait until the surgery is open, but it is not an emergency.
- 999 Call for immediate and life-threatening emergencies
- The Hub. The 5 practices in Leeds LS12 collaborate to open extended hours for routine care in one of the surgeries: Priory View Medical Centre.
- Out-of-hours services. They run Monday to Friday from 6.00pm at night until 8.00am in the morning, as well as at weekends, bank holidays and on staff training days. When you ring the surgery and it is closed, the call is diverted to Local Care Direct.
When To Use It
You should call 111 if:
- You need medical help or advice quickly but it is not a 999 emergency.
- You think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service.
- You don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP number.
- You need health information or reassurance about what to do next.
For less urgent health needs, please contact your GP or local pharmacist when they are next open.
How does it work?
The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses. They will ask you questions to understand your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you to the local service that can best help you. This could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, a walk-in or urgent care centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist.
When possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to. If you need an ambulance, one will be sent just as quickly as if you had dialled 999.
All West Yorkshire out-of-hours calls for GP surgeries are dealt with via NHS 111. Patients who need further assessment by a doctor are transferred to Local Care Direct.