Falling ill or having an accident is stressful in any circumstance, you can normally access a GP for less urgent situations. But dealing with a sudden health crisis or emergency presents additional challenges, particularly if you have never visited the A&E before.
Understanding your options, rights, and the appropriate steps to take to access urgent care quickly is crucial knowledge for all of us living in the UK when the unexpected happens.
Similar to the GP service, the urgent care service is provided by the National Health Service (NHS) in hospitals. It is entirely free to its citizens and people from abroad.
In this guide, I’ll explain the available emergency services in the UK, common conditions they treat, costs, and tips for accessing urgent medical care as smoothly as possible even in stressful scenarios.
Table of Contents
Recognising Red Flag Health Symptoms
To understand when you need to access urgent care immediately, it is crucial to first understand the red flag symptoms that may signal something more serious.
The reason that you won’t want to abuse this service is that its current waiting time is constantly reaching a new height. Waiting in the Accident and Emergency Department (also known as A&E) overnight is not unheard of, and my last visit took me 3 hours to wait to see a nurse, whom eventually dismissed us before seeing a doctor as she believed the condition was not severe enough.
I’ve summarised the most common symptoms that are considered urgent, but it is by no means an exhaustive list:
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
- Severe chest pain, pressure, tightness
- Signs of stroke like numbness, slurred speech, drooping face
- Heavy bleeding or bleeding that won’t stop
- Deep wounds, cuts, or burns
- Severe head injury, repeated vomiting, vision issues, seizures
- Sudden, stabbing abdominal pain
- Heavy vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
- Suicidal feelings
- Possible broken bones, especially with protruding bones
If you are unsure, you can always check NHS 111 by either calling 111 or going to its dedicated website. It is a service that provides advice to whether you should go and see a doctor, and the best action that you should take according to the symptoms you present with.
And if the symptoms you’re experiencing isn’t as urgent, you can book an appointment with your GP, and they would likely triage you according to your symptoms too to determine if you need a same-day urgent appointment or not.
Understanding Your Options for Urgent Care Services
In the UK, there are many options to access immediate healthcare. I will give an overview of all the healthcare services available, including urgent care services below.
999 Emergency Services
999 is a universal phone number for any urgent situations that require immediate attention. This is not only limited to healthcare, as you can use it to call for ambulances, fire brigade, and police. Once you explain the situation, operators can direct you to urgent care and call an ambulance for you.
The ambulance in the UK is a promising service, with 90% arriving within 15 minutes after your call.
NHS 111
NHS 111, as mentioned previously, is a phone line or a website that you can use to check which healthcare service you should use according to your very own condition. By calling 111, you can speak with a triage nurse regarding symptoms and receive guidance to appropriate care.
If you don’t want to speak over the phone, the NHS 111 site also provides a handy tool for you to plug in all your symptoms and give advice according to a fixed algorithm. This is a free service and it is entirely optional.
A&E
Apart from calling an ambulance for an extremely urgent situation, you can also walk in to the A&E nearest to your home and register yourself if you think you have the capability to do so. The process of registering is simple, they ask for your confirmation details like name, date of birth, and registered GP practice. You don’t need to prove your identity and bring an ID.
However, the major problem with A&E is that the waiting time is extremely long, and this is particularly worsened after the COVID pandemic. The median waiting time in 2023 was estimated to be 3 hours and 4 minutes for each patient, and in reality, you might have to wait more than that if you condition is deemed non-urgent by the triage nurse.
Urgent Treatment Centres
Urgent treatment centres treat minor acute issues like cuts, fever, fractures that require quick but non-emergency attention. It generally opens 7 days a week and 12 hours a day. It can be booked through NHS 111, though it also accepts walk-in patients. Typically, a patient that uses this service is fully mobile and can leave on the same day.
GP Appointments
Sometimes, it is hard to differentiate whether you require urgent care or not, even with the use of NHS 111. Some serious illness can present rather mildly, and share common symptoms with minor conditions. To rule out the worst possibility, and to possibly ease your worries, you can book an appointment with your GP just to check it out.
There is also a triage system in a GP surgery, and if they believe you need to be urgently, you will usually be given a same-day appointments (in contrary to the usual 3-week wait for routine appointments!). For example, I have seen a patient with recurrent urinary tract infections that get seen within a day as she most likely requires antibiotics.
Pharmacists
This is an option that most people often forget despite pharmacists being the most accessible healthcare provider in the community.
Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals that can deal with minor ailments and provide medication advice. They also know when they should refer you to see a doctor when your symptoms seem to be something more serious.
If you don’t think you need urgent care at the moment, and the GP waiting list is just horrendous, go to your nearest pharmacy and ask your pharmacist for advice!
What to Expect in an A&E
Heading to A&E
You can either call 999 for ambulance transportation if unable to safely travel another way, or get to A&E yourself only if you can do so safely and rapidly. It is best to have someone accompanying you if possible.
In the A&E, you are expected to be able to tell your name and date of birth to confirm your identity. Identification is not required to receive treatment. However, it is beneficial if you can bring your medications with you, particularly if you are taking quite a few of them.
The receptionist will typically ask why you are coming in, inform the staff immediately if your issue is critical like chest pain so that you are prioritised for triage. You will also have to describe your current medical conditions, medications you are taking, and any allergies for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Assessments in the A&E
After triage, you will have to wait in the A&E for hours, depending on how urgent your presenting complaint is.
Most people will get to see a nurse first. You will undergo some basic forms of assessments, and the nurse will decide what to do next.
For some, this may mean heading back home straight without receiving treatment or seeing a doctor; and for the others, this means a further wait to see a doctor.
A doctor may give you treatments, scans, lab work and medications as needed.
If your condition requires hospital monitoring, you may be hospitalised.
Costs of Seeking Urgent Care in the UK
Depending on your residential status in the UK, you may need to pay differently for an urgent care service in the UK.
If you are a UK resident, it is simple, as you don’t have to pay for anything at all. Prescriptions are exempted from charging for an urgent service and for in-patient hospitalisations.
If you are holding a visa, this may get a little more complicated. A&E service itself is free to everyone, including expats and visitors to the UK. If you’re holding a visa to stay for 6 months or more in the UK, you should already have paid a surcharge for the NHS during your visa application, therefore you can enjoy free NHS service just like anyone else in the country.
For other scenarios, you might want to read this to confirm if you can enjoy free healthcare or not. It is still important to note that the price of urgent care should not be a hindrance for you to seek appropriate treatment, as there is often no upfront cost and you can handle the financial aspect later on. Focus first on your health!
Summary
To stay prepared in case of an urgent health situation that arise, know where the nearest A&E and urgent care centres are located relative to home, work or school. This makes it much easier when you are in a panic.
If you are taking multiple medications, it is good to keep a health record in your phone, stating all the medications (name, dose, frequency), medical conditions, allergies, previous surgeries so that you don’t have to memorise it from the back of your mind in a hurry!
For people that speak a different language, carry a translated card with your name, DOB, contact person, medical conditions, and medications to expedite care if verbal communication is difficult. Note that it is currently extremely hard to find a interpreter due to limited NHS funding, so you might want to have a family member to accompany you.
I hope these tips provide some confidence when you need urgent medical attention. Stay healthy, but don’t hesitate to use these critical services as needed. Tell me what is your experience with using the urgent care services in the UK by commenting below!
