111 is the new number to call out of hours
Out-of-hours (OOH) refers to those times of the day and night when the surgery is not open – from 18:30 until 08:00 Monday to Thursday, and 18:30 Friday to 08:00 Monday.
If you need to contact a doctor OOH for matters which cannot wait until the next normal surgery, all you need to do is phone 111.
The call will then be automatically passed to someone to take details, and one of several things may then happen:
- If it is very urgent, an ambulance may be called
- For many problems, advice on the ‘phone will be all that is needed, and this will be available If you need to actually see a doctor, a time will be arranged for you to attend a Primary Care Centre (PCC) either locally or in Hereford. Sometimes a home visit may be required for those too ill to go to a PCC – in this case a visit will be arranged.
Please do not ask to see a doctor out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.