Practice Information | out of hours
URGENT CARE SERVICE
A guide to getting emergency medical treatment
when your GP surgery is closed
Please print this page and keep it next to your telephone. |
When should I use this service?
In Dorset, an out-of-hours medical service is available when your local GP surgery is closed.
This service is for urgent medical situations – if you, or a member of your family, become ill and you are concerned. It is not for routine enquiries, such as booking an appointment with your GP, repeat prescriptions or test results.
If your medical problem is not urgent, please telephone your own GP surgery when it is next open, or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for advice.
NHS Direct can give you general medical information 24 hours a day. Their trained nurses can provide you with expert health advice and reassurance any time of the day or night. They will also be able to advise you on anything from where to find a pharmacist, to where to go for emergency dental treatment or how to get emergency contraception.
Remember: If it is a medical emergency – if you believe that you, or a member of your family, might die if you don’t get medical help immediately – then you should call 999 and ask for an ambulance. |
How do I contact a doctor when my GP surgery is closed?
If you become unwell and need medical help after your GP surgery has closed you can:
- Telephone the Dorset Emergency Care Service directly on 0845 600 10 13.
What will happen when I ring the Dorset Emergency Care Service?
When you ring the Dorset Emergency Care Service, your call will go through to the call centre in St Leonard’s, Dorset. A trained member of staff will answer the phone and take some details from you. They will pass your details straight over to a doctor who will ring you back to ask you more about the problem and, with you, will decide the best option for you. This might be:
- Advice over the telephone: The best solution to a minor medical problem might be to give you some advice over the telephone. This is generally the quickest and most convenient solution if you are concerned about a medical problem.
- Go to a local treatment centre: It may be decided that you need to see a healthcare professional and you will be asked to go to your nearest local treatment centre. This is because the centre will have the equipment and facilities you may need. A doctor, nurse or emergency care practitioner will also be on site and will be able to examine you more closely. You will be given the choice of which local treatment centre is best for you to go to.
- Have a home visit: You could be told that you need a home visit by a doctor, a nurse or an emergency care practitioner. This will depend upon the seriousness of your condition. A doctor, nurse or paramedic will visit you as quickly as possible, but your visit will be placed in order of priority according to the seriousness of other patients needing home visits.
When you call the Dorset Emergency Care Service, if staff at the call centre, or the doctor feels that your medical problem is an emergency, they will call 999 on your behalf and an emergency ambulance will come to you.
What happens if I feel better or worse? Can I call the service back?
If your medical problem gets worse it is important that you:
- Call 0845 600 10 13 again so that the doctor can re-assess your medical condition and consider whether you need more urgent help.
If your medical condition gets better after you have spoken with the doctor, you should:
- Call the Dorset Emergency Care Service back and let them know you are feeling better. This is very important if you:
- no longer need a visit to your home by a doctor, nurse or emergency care practitioner
- no longer wish to attend a local treatment centre
- have changed your mind about which local treatment centre to attend
What do I do when my nearest local treatment centre is closed?
During the night, you could be asked to visit another treatment centre. However, if you need a doctor, nurse or paramedic to visit you at home they will do so.
Print this page and keep it next to your telephone.
The Dorset Emergency Care Service is operated by Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust. If you have any queries or concerns about this service please contact:
Sue Meredith, Operations Manager, Dorset Emergency Communications Centre
Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust, Ringwood Rd, St Leonard’s, Dorset BH24 2SP
Tel: 01202 851332.
Please note that your call may be recorded to ensure consistently high standards of service are achieved.
