What we do Health Advice information and help You can find out more about health conditions, medicines, tests and treatments from NHS.uk. Your local library and pharmacy should also be able to provide you with information. Health professionals You can get health advice and information from your GP, pharmacist, nurse or other health professional. Advice line NHS 111: You can use the NHS 111 service if you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. What is NHS 111? The NHS 111 service provides urgent medical advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access urgent medical help, speak to a trained advisor, find out what to do next, and get directed to the local service that can help you best. You can call NHS 111, which is free from landlines and mobiles. You can also get help online at 111.nhs.uk. Who is NHS 111 for? NHS 111 is for everyone. You can call 111 if you are feeling unwell and need health advice or information, or you can call on behalf of someone else. You do not need to register with NHS 111 and you will not be asked for your name or address. NHS 111 is a confidential service. When should I call NHS 111? You should call NHS 111 if you need medical help fast, but it’s not a 999 emergency. For example, if you have: a high temperature that won’t go down a rash that you don’t know what it is a sore throat that’s getting worse chest pain that doesn’t go away difficulty breathing a headache that’s severe pain in your abdomen You can also call NHS 111 if you’re not sure what to do about a health problem. What will happen when I call NHS 111? When you call NHS 111, a trained advisor will ask you some questions about your symptoms. They will then give you advice on what to do next. They may tell you to: see your GP make an appointment with a hospital see a pharmacist stay at home and treat yourself with over-the-counter medicines What if I need to see a doctor or nurse? If the advisor thinks you need to see a doctor or nurse, they will book an appointment for you. They will also tell you where to go and when to arrive. What if I need to go to hospital? If the advisor thinks you need to go to hospital, they will arrange for an ambulance to take you there. How can I access NHS 111 online? You can access NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk. The website provides the same information and advice as the phone service, but you can access it at any time of day or night. To use the online service, you will need to provide your age, sex and postcode. You will then be asked a series of questions about your symptoms. Once you have answered the questions, you will be given advice on what to do next. What if I have a hearing or speech impairment? If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the NHS 111 British Sign Language (BSL) service. The BSL service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the BSL service, you will need to use a video phone or a webcam. You can find out more about the NHS 111 BSL service at www.nhs.uk/111-bsl. What if I need an interpreter? If you need an interpreter, you can call NHS 111 and ask for one. The interpreter will be able to help you understand the advice that you are given. What if I am deaf or hard of hearing and do not have a video phone? If you are deaf or hard of hearing and do not have a video phone, you can use the NHS 111 textphone service. The textphone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the textphone service, you will need a textphone. You can find out more about the NHS 111 textphone service at www.nhs.uk/111-textphone. What if I am abroad? If you are abroad, you can call NHS 111 on +44 116 111. This is a chargeable number, so you may want to check with your network provider before calling. Maternity and babies Advice and support during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond Pregnancy You can find out more about pregnancy, childbirth and beyond from NHS.uk. Your midwife or health visitor should also be able to provide you with information and support. Health professionals You can get advice and support from your midwife, health visitor or other health professional. Midwives are specially trained nurses who can provide care and support during pregnancy, labour and birth. Health visitors are nurses who can provide care and support to families with young children. Advice line Start4Life: You can use the Start4Life service if you need information and advice on pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood. What is Start4Life? The Start4Life service provides information and advice on pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood. You can get information on topics such as: getting pregnant pregnancy scans and tests labour and birth feeding your baby baby’s health and development You can access Start4Life online at www.nhs.uk/start4life. You can also get help by calling 0300 123 7050. Who is Start4Life for? Start4Life is for everyone who is pregnant, trying to get pregnant or has recently had a baby. You can also get help and advice if you are a partner, family member or friend of someone who is pregnant or has recently had a baby. When should I contact Start4Life? You can contact Start4Life at any time during pregnancy, labour, birth or early parenthood. You can also contact Start4Life if you are thinking about getting pregnant. What will happen when I contact Start4Life? When you contact Start4Life, you will be able to speak to a trained advisor. The advisor will ask you some questions about your pregnancy, labour, birth or early parenthood. They will then give you information and advice on what to do next. They may also tell you about local services that can help you. What if I need to see a midwife or health visitor? If the advisor thinks you need to see a midwife or health visitor, they will book an appointment for you. They will also tell you where to go and when to arrive. What if I need to go to hospital? If the advisor thinks you need to go to hospital, they will arrange for an ambulance to take you there. How can I access Start4Life online? You can access Start4Life online at www.nhs.uk/start4life. The website provides the same information and advice as the phone service, but you can access it at any time of day or night. To use the online service, you will need to provide your age, sex and postcode. You will then be asked a series of questions about your pregnancy, labour, birth or early parenthood. Once you have answered the questions, you will be given information and advice on what to do next. What if I have a hearing or speech impairment? If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the Start4Life British Sign Language (BSL) service. The BSL service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the BSL service, you will need to use a video phone or a webcam. You can find out more about the Start4Life BSL service at www.nhs.uk/start4life-bsl. What if I need an interpreter? If you need an interpreter, you can call Start4Life and ask for one. The interpreter will be able to help you understand the information and advice that you are given. What if I am deaf or hard of hearing and do not have a video phone? If you are deaf or hard of hearing and do not have a video phone, you can use the Start4Life textphone service. The textphone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the textphone service, you will need a textphone. You can find out more about the Start4Life textphone service at www.nhs.uk/start4life-textphone. What if I am abroad? If you are abroad, you can call Start4Life on +44 116 111. This is a chargeable number, so you may want to check with your network provider before calling..
What We Do: Health, Maternity and Babies, Advice Line
