999, 111, A&E or urgent treatment centre?
Know who to call or where to go when something goes wrong.
Emergency, which service? Ambulance, please.
Computer voice · not a real clip
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All 15 phrases
Calling 9995
- Emergency, which serviceThe 999 operator's first words.
- What's the address of the emergency?One of the first things the ambulance call handler asks.
- Is the patient breathing? Are they awake?The ambulance call handler's next questions.
- The paramedics are on their wayThe ambulance crew.
- Act FAST. Could it be a strokeFace drooping, Arms weak, Speech slurred, Time to call 999.
Choosing where to go6
- Is it life-threatening?The basic test.
- Ring 111. It's urgent but it's not an emergencyNHS 111 is free, 24/7, by phone or at 111.nhs.uk.
- Should we take him to A&E?A&E (Accident and Emergency) is the hospital emergency department, for serious and life-threatening problems.
- Let's go to the urgent treatment centreA UTC is for things like sprains, possible broken bones, minor burns, cuts and infections.
- Is there a minor injuries unit near here?An older name, still used in places, alongside 'walk-in centre'.
- It's out of hours. Ring 111Evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when your GP is shut.
At the hospital4
- 111 booked me an arrival time at A&E111 can sometimes book you a slot at A&E or a UTC so you aren't just turning up.
- You'll be triaged firstYou're seen in order of urgency, not arrival.
- He was blue-lighted inTaken to hospital by ambulance with lights and sirens.
- We've been sat in A&E for hoursThe common complaint.
Check yourself15 questions
Question 1 of 15
The operator asks 'Which service?' You say:
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About this pack
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed, saved on this device
- Reviews
- 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
- Moments
- 1 of 15 phrases have a clip
- Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phrases
- Picked by Talk.
- How Talk picked them
- Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 15 phrases.
- Licence
- Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Meanings and examples
- Written by Talk in plain English.
- Dictionary details
- From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
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