The NHS 24 service is there 24 hours a day to make sure you can access healthcare advice and treatment as quickly as possible and, in many cases, avoid a trip and long wait at A&E.
It is able to help adults and children over the age of 12 months who may need need urgent medical care or treatment for an injury or illness which is not life-threatening.
NHS 24 staff can offer advice or quickly arrange for you to speak to a local healthcare professional based in NHS Forth Valley. They can carry out a telephone or video consultation or arrange an appointment for you to be seen by out of hours or the Urgent Care Centre. This means you wouldn’t need to wait when you attend and helps avoid overcrowding to keep everyone safe.
You should call NHS 24 if:
- you need urgent health advice or treatment for an injury or illness but it’s not life threatening
- you are too ill to wait for your GP practice to open (you can still contact your GP practice or local pharmacy as normal during opening hours
If your condition is serious or life-threatening you should go to the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital or dial 999.
NHS Inform – online health information and advice
NHS 24 has an online service available 24 hours 7 days a week that can provide information and advice on a wide variety of health issues:
NHS Inform provides:
- An updated and expanded Health A-Z
- Answers to common health questions
- Links to local health and support information across Scotland