Accessing Healthcare away from Home
Knowing which service to use can help you get the right care quickly and avoid unnecessary waits. There are several NHS services available to you when you are away from home, depending on what you need.
1. Your General Practice
If you are away from home but still able to contact your usual General Practice, this may be the best place to start for routine or ongoing health concerns.
Your General Practice may be able to offer an appointment by telephone, video or online consultation. As your practice has access to your medical records, they may be best placed to advise you about an existing health condition or medication.
If you need a prescription while you are away, your GP (General Practitioner) may be able to arrange for it to be sent electronically to a pharmacy near where you are staying.
Most of the time you can call the practice usually go to and they can help you by phone, video or online consultation. This is more convenient as they have your medical records to hand and can arrange for prescription medication to be collected at a pharmacy close to where you are staying.
2. A local General Practice
If you are away from home and need to see a GP, you can contact a local General Practice. You can find a GP near you.
If you are staying somewhere temporarily, you can ask to be treated as a temporary patient. You can usually register as a temporary patient if you expect to be in the area for more than 24 hours but less than three months.
This can allow you to receive treatment without permanently registering with the practice. Your GP can explain what you need to do and whether you are eligible. You may need to find your NHS number to apply as a temporary resident.
You can also use NHS services such as NHS 111 if you are unsure which local service you should use.
3. NHS 111
If you are unsure where to go or need medical advice quickly, NHS 111 can help.
You can call 111 or use NHS 111 online. The service is available 24 hours a day and can assess your symptoms, provide advice and direct you to the most appropriate service.
Depending on your circumstances, NHS 111 may also be able to arrange an appointment with another healthcare service.
If you need an urgent prescription for medication that you regularly take, NHS 111 may also be able to help.
For dental problems, NHS 111 can provide advice and help you find an urgent dental service where appropriate.
4. NHS Urgent Treatment Centre
If you need treatment for an urgent but non-life-threatening illness or injury, an NHS urgent treatment centre may be appropriate.
Urgent treatment centres can treat conditions such as minor injuries, cuts, sprains, burns and some illnesses. You do not usually need to be registered with a General Practice to use an urgent treatment centre, although some centres may have different arrangements, so check before travelling.
Urgent treatment centres are not intended for life-threatening emergencies or routine management of long-term conditions.
If you have a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department. You can find urgent and emergency care services near you.
5. Pharmacies
For many minor health concerns, your local pharmacy can be a quick and convenient place to get advice.
Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals who can advise on a range of common illnesses and symptoms, recommend appropriate treatments and let you know if you need to see another healthcare professional.
Many pharmacies offer confidential consultations and you do not usually need an appointment.
Some pharmacies can also provide certain NHS services, including treatment for a range of common conditions through the NHS Pharmacy First service. You can find a pharmacy near you.
Which service should I use?
When you are away from home, it can be difficult to know where to go for healthcare. As a general guide:
- Minor illness or health concern: speak to a pharmacist.
- You need medical advice or are unsure where to go: call 111 or contact NHS 111 online.
- Urgent illness or injury: use an urgent treatment centre or another service recommended by NHS 111.
- Routine or ongoing health concerns: contact your usual General Practice or a local General Practice if appropriate.
- Serious or life-threatening emergency: call 999 or go to A&E.
If you are unsure, NHS 111 can help you find the most appropriate service for your needs.
Remember, you can access NHS healthcare when you are away from home, you do not necessarily need to return to your usual General Practice to get help.
