# Pharmacy, NHS 111, your GP practice or 999: which to use

> A simple guide to choosing between a pharmacy, NHS 111, your GP practice, an urgent treatment centre and 999 or A&E, with examples.

- URL: https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/which-nhs-service/
- Section: Getting the right help
- Page type: guide
- Last updated: 2026-10-26
- Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-26
- Written by: Sean Key, digital health programme manager (not a clinician)
- Publisher: Digital Health Coach UK (https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/), independent and not part of the NHS

This page is general information, not personal medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For urgent help that is not an emergency use NHS 111 online (https://111.nhs.uk/) or call 111.

Call 999 if someone's life is at risk. For anything urgent that is not life-threatening, use NHS 111 online or call 111, and it will point you to the right place. For minor illnesses, start with a pharmacy. For problems that can wait a day or more, contact your GP practice.

If you are not sure, use 111. It is designed for exactly that.

## Quick guide with examples

| Example | Where to go |
| --- | --- |
| Someone is unconscious, not breathing, or has chest pain | Call 999 |
| Signs of a stroke, severe bleeding, a severe allergic reaction | Call 999 |
| Sore throat, earache in a child, sinusitis, infected insect bite | Pharmacy (Pharmacy First in England) |
| Coughs, colds, hay fever, mild aches and pains | Pharmacy |
| You've run out of your regular medicine | 111 online or a pharmacy: see [emergency prescriptions](https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/emergency-prescriptions/) |
| You feel unwell and don't know what to do, or your GP practice is closed | NHS 111 online or call 111 |
| A sprain, a suspected broken bone, a cut or a minor burn | Urgent treatment centre |
| A child under 5 is unwell and you're unsure | Call 111 |
| A new symptom that isn't urgent, or an ongoing condition | Your GP practice |
| A fit note, a review of your medicines, test results | Your GP practice |
| You or someone you know is in a mental health crisis | Call 111 and choose the mental health option, or 999 if life is at risk |

## Pharmacy

Pharmacists can advise on minor illnesses and help you choose medicines. You don't need an appointment.

### Pharmacy First in England

Under Pharmacy First, pharmacists in England can assess and, where needed, treat seven common conditions, including with some prescription medicines. You can walk in, or be referred by 111 or your GP practice.

| Condition | Who it covers |
| --- | --- |
| Earache (acute otitis media) | Ages 1 to 17 |
| Impetigo | Age 1 and over |
| Infected insect bites | Age 1 and over |
| Shingles | Age 18 and over |
| Sinusitis | Age 12 and over |
| Sore throat | Age 5 and over |
| Uncomplicated urinary tract infections | Women aged 16 to 64 |

Online-only pharmacies don't offer the earache service.

NHS England has announced five more conditions. They start from autumn 2026, at first only in a small number of pharmacies that employ a pharmacist who can prescribe. Ask your pharmacy what it offers.

| New condition | Who it covers |
| --- | --- |
| Migraine (occasional attacks) | Adults |
| Mild to moderate acne | Young people and adults |
| Outer ear infection (otitis externa) | Adults |
| Hay fever | Children |
| Mild skin infections, including scabies | Not yet stated |

## NHS 111 (online and phone)

NHS 111 helps when you need medical help quickly but it's not an emergency. Calls are free, and the service is open 24 hours a day, every day.

- **111 online** at [111.nhs.uk](https://111.nhs.uk/), or in the NHS App, is for people aged 5 and over.
- **Call 111** for a child under 5, or if you have a complex condition, a care plan or need end-of-life care.

111 asks about your symptoms. It may then send you to a pharmacy, an urgent treatment centre, an out-of-hours GP or A&E, arrange a call-back from a nurse, or give you self-care advice. If you need a call-back, a nurse will try up to 3 times.

111 online cannot issue fit notes or make or cancel other NHS appointments.

### Mental health crisis

In England, you can call 111 and choose the mental health option. It is open 24 hours a day for people of all ages. You can also call on behalf of someone else. If there is a serious risk to life, call 999.

## Urgent treatment centres

Urgent treatment centres (UTCs) deal with urgent problems that are not life-threatening. Examples include sprains, suspected broken bones, cuts, minor head and eye injuries, skin infections and rashes, and a high temperature in adults and children. They see people of all ages, including young children.

In England, UTCs must open for at least 12 hours a day, every day, including bank holidays. You can walk in, but the NHS encourages you to use 111 first, as it may be able to book you a time. You don't need to be registered with a GP. Some places still have older names, such as walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

## Your GP practice

Contact your GP practice for problems that are not urgent, ongoing conditions, medicine reviews and fit notes.

Many practices let you contact them through an online form on their website, and some through the NHS App. You can describe symptoms, ask a question or follow something up, for yourself or someone you care for. The practice should tell you within 1 working day what happens next. If you prefer, you can still phone or visit. Online forms are not for emergencies.

### What the online form might be called

Practices buy their online forms from different companies, so the form may carry the company's name. Common ones include:

- **Accurx** (often called Patient Triage): see [Accurx: how to submit an online request to your GP practice](https://support.accurx.com/en/articles/5390855-patient-support-how-to-submit-an-online-request-to-your-gp-practice)
- **eConsult**: see [eConsult: how eConsult works](https://econsult.net/nhs-patients/how-to-use-econsult)
- **PATCHS**
- **Klinik**

Whichever one your practice uses, start from the link on your practice's own website. That way your request goes to the right place.

## 999 and A&E

Call 999 when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Examples include chest pain, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, heavy bleeding, choking, severe burns, seizures and a severe allergic reaction. See [how to call 999](https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/calling-999/).

A 999 call does not always mean an ambulance. You may be told to go to A&E yourself or be seen elsewhere.

## If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

- **Wales**: call 111 or use [111 Wales](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/). For mental health support, call 111 and press 2. Pharmacies offer a free Common Ailments Service for 28 conditions.
- **Scotland**: call NHS 24 on 111. Choose the mental health option for the Mental Health Hub. [NHS Pharmacy First Scotland](https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland-information-patients/) covers many minor illnesses at your local pharmacy.
- **Northern Ireland**: there is no NHS 111 service. When your GP practice is closed, call your local GP out-of-hours service, listed on [nidirect](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-service/).

999 works the same across the UK.

## When to get help

- **Call 999** for chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe breathing difficulty, unconsciousness, heavy bleeding, a severe allergic reaction, or a serious risk to life in a mental health crisis.
- **Use NHS 111 online or call 111** if you feel unwell and are unsure what to do, or your GP practice is closed.
- **Contact your GP practice** for symptoms that have lasted a while, or problems that can wait a day or more.
- **Ask a pharmacist** about minor illnesses, medicines and Pharmacy First conditions.

## Sources

- [NHS England: Pharmacy First](https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/)
- [NHS England: Patients to get quicker treatment for migraines, acne and 3 other everyday conditions at pharmacies](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/09/patients-to-get-quicker-treatment-for-migraines-acne-and-3-other-everyday-conditions-at-pharmacies/)
- [NHS: When to use 111](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/)
- [NHS England: NHS 111](https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/nhs-111/)
- [NHS 111 online: home page](https://111.nhs.uk/)
- [NHS England: NHS 111 offering crisis mental health support for the first time](https://england.nhs.uk/2024/08/nhs-111-offering-crisis-mental-health-support-for-the-first-time/)
- [NHS: When to visit an urgent treatment centre](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-visit-an-urgent-treatment-centre/)
- [NHS England: Urgent treatment centres, principles and standards](https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-treatment-centres-principles-and-standards/)
- [NHS: GP online consultations](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/gp-online-consultations/)
- [Accurx: How to submit an online request to your GP practice](https://support.accurx.com/en/articles/5390855-patient-support-how-to-submit-an-online-request-to-your-gp-practice)
- [eConsult: How eConsult works](https://econsult.net/nhs-patients/how-to-use-econsult)
- [NHS: When to call 999](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-call-999/)
- [West Midlands Ambulance Service: When to call 999](https://www.wmas.nhs.uk/services/urgent-and-emergency-care-999/when-to-call-999/)
- [Welsh Government: NHS 111 press 2](https://www.gov.wales/nhs-111-press-2-big-step-forward-access-urgent-mental-health-support)
- [NHS 111 Wales: Pharmacy services](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/pharmacy)
- [NHS inform: Mental health services at NHS 24](https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/mental-health-support/mental-health-services-at-nhs-24)
- [Scottish Government: NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, information for patients](https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland-information-patients/)
- [nidirect: GP out of hours service](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-service/)
- [Northern Ireland Ambulance Service: Freedom of information response on the 111 service (2025)](https://nias.hscni.net/download/315/2025/9078/36395-25-111-service.pdf)