For life threatening conditions, call 999 – Accident & Emergency (A&E).

Emergency services are very busy. You should only attend Emergency Departments (A&E) if you are very badly hurt or if you become very seriously ill (life-threatening). This would include:

• Life threatening choking
• Chest pain
• Blacking out
• Severe blood loss
• Severe breathing difficulty.

You will find Emergency Departments at:

• John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford
• Horton General Hospital in Banbury
• Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Dial 111 for urgent advice on what to do or who to see.

This number is free to call from all landlines and mobiles.

Call the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Helpline if you need help with a mental health problem. This number replaces 111 for mental health advice in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

• For adults and older adults call 01865 904 997
• For children and young people call 01865 904 998

To start a conversation:
Text the word ‘SUNRISE’ to 85258
You’ll receive four automated messages before being connected to one of Shout’s qualified mental health professionals
Once connected, the mental health professional will listen empathetically, provide support and signpost to local services where appropriate
The service is a clinical service. It is free, anonymous, and does not appear on phone bills. Users do not need to register, download an app, or use mobile data.

Minor Injuries Units are for injuries, such as:

• Deep cuts
• Eye injuries
• Broken bones
• Severe sprains
• Minor head injury
• Minor burns and scalds

Many people go to Accident and Emergency when they could be treated just as well and probably quicker at a Minor Injuries Unit.

In Accident and Emergency staff must give priority to serious and life-threatening conditions, so if you go there with a minor injury you may have to wait longer to be seen. It is better to go to a Minor Injuries Unit if there is one locally.

You don’t need an appointment to visit a Minor Injuries Unit. They are run by a team of highly qualified nurse practitioners with a lot of experience and expertise in the treatment of minor injuries.

Minor Injuries Units can treat a wide variety of problems including:

• Cuts and grazes
• Sprains and strains
• Broken bones (fractures)
• Bites and stings
• Minor eye infections
• Scratches
• Something stuck in your eye

Some hospitals provide a First Aid Unit instead of a Minor Injuries Unit.

First Aid Units provide a similar service to that provided by a Minor Injuries Unit except that they do not have the support of an x-ray service. If you think that your injury may require an x-ray then you should telephone 111 or the First Aid Unit for advice prior to attending.

For more details on these services please see our Minor Injuries Unit/First Aid Units page.

Telephone: 111

The out-of-hours service provides urgent medical care from 6.30pm to 8.00am on weekdays and around the clock at weekends and bank holidays. It can help you if, for example, you have a fever or sickness but do not need to go to a hospital Emergency Department.

Remember to call first before going to an urgent care centre.

Patients do not need to register for urgent care services.

If you experience mental health crisis at the weekend, you can get support with Oxford Safe Haven by calling 01865 903 037.

Oxford Safe Haven is an out-of-hours, non-clinical space offering crisis support, signposting, safety planning and listening support over the weekend.

The Oxford Safe Haven is open seven days a week. The referral line is open 365 days a year from 11.30am to 9.30pm. Last entry is at 9pm.

You must call first. We may not have a space if people arrive at the venue without calling ahead.

For more details about this service please visit oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/service_description/oxford-safe-haven

For emergency advice or treatment please call: 111

Between 6.30pm to 9.30pm Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 6.00pm at weekends, 9.00am to 5.00pm and 6.00pm to 9.00pm on bank holiday weekends and bank holidays.

This service is available to all Oxfordshire residents (including temporary residents and visitors). Callers will be phoned back for triage and provided with either advice or offered appointments for emergency treatment. This service is for people with urgent or emergency needs only and therefore does not provide routine care or repeat appointments.

You can also also call 111 for details of NHS dental practices offering emergency appointments.