Mental health
The UK has a national health system called the NHS. You can get help for both physical health and mental health issues. Most services are free.
There is a lot of free support available to you if you don’t feel well. You may have experienced trauma, a difficult event or you regularly feel down, worried, lonely or panicked. This support includes talking to a professional who can help you work through your problems, medication, or groups and activities where you can meet others who are going through similar difficulties.
If you are not feeling well, you don’t need to feel embarrassed about getting help. Your GP can help you find something suitable. You can also find a local charity or group yourself and contact them to get support.
A GP is a non-specialist doctor who will usually be the first point of contact for medical issues. They can treat many conditions themselves. If they decide you need further treatment, they will refer you to other services within the NHS.
You should register with a local GP. This will allow you to make appointments in future when you need help. It can often take weeks to get an appointment, but if you have an issue that can’t wait, you can ask for an emergency appointment, which will often be on the same day.
GP appointments may be held at their centre, over the phone, or by home visit if you’re too ill to leave your home. If you cannot keep an appointment, phone them before the appointment is due, otherwise you may be removed from the GP’s register.
You will need to have an appointment to visit your GP. Your GP will usually provide an online booking form, but you can also call them on the phone or walk in and ask the reception staff.
If something changes and you can’t make an appointment, you should contact them to ask for another time. Do this as soon as you know you can’t make the appointment.
You can request your GP provide you with a translator for appointments.
You must arrive by the appointment time, so aim to get there shortly before. If you are late, they may cancel your appointment.
When you arrive you should go to the reception and tell them your name, address and date of birth. They may also have a computer screen that will allow you to check in digitally. You’ll then take a seat in the waiting area, until your name is called out.
You will normally have about 10 minutes. It may be with a doctor, or a nurse depending on the issue you have. You a more likely to see a nurse for issues such as vaccinations or small wounds. The appointment is just for one person – you can’t bring other family members to talk about their issues.
If the doctor thinks you need further treatment, they will let you know what will happen next. If you are struggling to understand, let them know. You can ask them to write things down if that is easier for you.
If your doctor has prescribed medication for you, you will be given a prescription, which is a piece of paper describing the medication you need. You will need to take this to a local pharmacy.
If you or someone else needs immediate medical help for a life-threatening emergency you should call 999 or go to the nearest A&E hospital. When you call 999, you should first say ‘ambulance’. You will then be asked questions about the situation, where you are, and for a number they can call you on. If necessary, they will send a paramedic.
Dial 999 on a phone to speak to the emergency ambulance, police or fire services.
999 calls are free and you do not need credit on your phone.
Yes. If you can't speak English, try saying the word ‘help’ in your own language, or say the name of your language. Stay on the line and don't hang up. The operator will try to identify your language and connect you to an interpreter service.
If there is someone nearby who can speak English it may be best to try and show them what has happened and get them to call.
Call 999. After you have connected, press ‘55’ on your phone. You will be transferred to the police. They will ask you simple yes or no questions, which you can respond to by tapping number buttons on your phone.
If you're using the Relay UK app, type the 999 button. If you're using a textphone, call 18000. You'll then be connected to a Relay Assistant. Tell them which emergency service you need.
The emergencySMS service is for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech impairments, letting them send SMS messages to 999. You need to register with this service before you can use it.
If you have a problem that is not life-threatening, but needs urgent help, you should call 111 or go to your nearest urgent treatment centre or walk-in centre. These centres are usually only open in the day time. If you call 111, they will ask you about the situation, and tell you what you should do next.