When We Are Closed
Outside of normal surgery hours emergency cover is provided by NHS24 on 111 (www.nhs.24.com).
Your call wll be answered by a trained person who will then transfer you to the appropriate service. You may be given advice or asked to attend a treatment centre.
Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
In a genuine emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
NHS 24's 111 service:
new non-English Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Our 111 service provides support for the health and care needs 24/7. This includes:
- out of hours care when your GP practice or dental surgery is closed
- urgent care if you think you need A&E but it’s not life threatening
- mental health support.
Callers to the 111 service first hear an automated message with options to help them get the right support for them.
This was identified as a possible barrier for callers whose first language is not English, and ways of improving access have been considered.
As a result, callers now have the option to listen to our IVR messages in seven languages: Arabic, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Sorani, and Ukrainian. When answering these calls, NHS 24 staff will know the caller has requested language support. They will arrange for an interpreter to join the call.