WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

When it comes to your health or the health of someone in your family, it is often very obvious if the person is seriously ill and needs immediate emergency care. An emergency is a critical or life-threatening situation.

Should I call for an Ambulance?

RING 999 for an Ambulance if you answer YES to any of the questions below:

• Severe chest pain:

  • Is the patient unconscious?
  • Has the patient got a history of heart problems? If patient suffers from angina administer GTN spray, repeat after 5 minutes and call ambulance if the pain does not resolve. 
  • Is the pain a crushing pain like a band around the chest?
  • Is the pain moving into the jaw or arms?
  • Does the patient feel sick?
  • Is the patient sweating or clammy?
  • Is the patient having breathing difficulties?

• Unconscious:

  • Is the patient unconscious?

• Semi-conscious (or 'floppy' baby or child):

Is the patient semi-conscious or floppy with any other of the following symptoms

• Difficult to wake? Stiff neck? Severe headache? Child with a high pitched whimpering cry? Purple or blood coloured rash? Photo-phobic?
• Is the patient a diabetic? Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
• Is the patient having chest pains?
• Has the patient got a history of heart problems?

• Overdose and Semi-conscious:

  • Is the patient unconscious or very drowsy?
  • Is the patient having breathing difficulties?

• Overdose and fully conscious:

  • Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
  • Is the patient a danger to himself?
  • Is the patient a danger to others?

• Severe breathlessness or collapse:

  • Is the patient unconscious?
  • Is the patient semi-conscious?
  • Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
  • Has the patient received a crushing or penetrating injury to head, neck, chest, abdo or thigh?
  • Is the bleeding uncontrollable?

• Serious head injury / Road accident:

  • Is the patient unconscious?
  • Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
  • Is the patient fitting?
  • Has the patient received a crushing or penetrating injury to head, neck, chest, abdo or thigh?

• Epilepsy / Fitting:

  • Is the patient still fitting? Is this the patient's first fit?
  • Has the patient received a serious injury to the head?

If an ambulance is not required immediately but you feel you have an urgent problem there are other options for you:

NHS 111

If you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do,  NHS 111 can help.

You can get answers to questions about your symptoms on their website ot by phone. The phone service and website are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Depending on the situation you’ll:

• find out what local service can help you
• be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
• get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
• be told how to get any medicine you nee
• or
• get self-care advice.
   

Get help online from 111 now or call 111 (the online service is for people aged 5 and over)

Urgent Treatment Centres

There are 3 Urgent treatment Centres across Newcastle city.

Ponteland Road: Telephone 0191 271 9030

Molineux Centre: Telephone 0191 213 8568

Westgate Raod: Telephone 0191 282 3000

The urgent treatment centres are staffed by GPs and Nurses and will continue to see and treat patients, of any age, on a walk in basis without an appointment.

They are open from 8am until 10pm every day including bank holidays. Urgent treatment centres are a facility you can go to if you need urgent medical attention, but it's not a life-threatening situation and they see people of all ages with minor injuries and illnesses
 

Conditions that can be treated at an urgent treatment centre include:

• sprains and strains
• suspected broken limbs
• minor head injuries
• cuts and grazes
• bites and stings
• minor scalds and burns
• ear and throat infections
• skin infections and rashes
• eye problems
• coughs and colds
• feverish illness in adults
• feverish illness in children
• abdominal pain
• vomiting and diarrhoea
• emergency contraception

Urgent treatment centres also offer additional appointments with GPs through the extended access scheme, including at evenings and weekends. Appointments can be booked through Newburn Surgery (when we are open) and may also be offered via NHS 111 if assessment of your symptoms suggests this is the best option for you.

Updated Jan 2020