Self care at home: Treat headaches, coughs and colds, small cuts and grazes at home.
Visit your local pharmacy: For emergency supply of repeat medicines. Advice on minor infections and ailments.
Contact your GP practice: For persistent symptoms, concerns about aches and pains. Vomiting. Asthma.
Visit a minor injury unit or urgent treatment centre: For sprains, broken bones to minor burns and head injuries. No appointment needed, open late.
Use NHS 111: For urgent and out of hours advice, use 111 Online or call NHS 111
Call 999: Please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. Use 999 BSL to access Emergency services with British Sign Language (BSL).
Mental health support: Call 111 and choose the mental health option when prompted.
How you can access urgent dental care:
- Contact your own dentist first – they may be able to offer urgent advice or treatment.
- Don’t have a dentist?
Call Smile Together on 0333 405 0290, Cornwall’s emergency dental service.
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm. - Outside of these hours, call NHS 111 for advice and support.
- Find a dentist
Contacting telephone services for people who are deaf or have hearing loss:
NHS 111 | SignVideo : SignVideo – the interpreter telephones an NHS 111 adviser to enable two way conversation to access symptoms, give healthcare advice and direct them to the local service they need.
999 BSL – enables you contact the emergency services with BSL rather than calling 999.
Relay UK enables a text relay service between an operator who types the questions and answers between the clinician and the patient.
Whether it be self-care for minor injuries and illnesses, finding health advice for parents, getting advice and medication from a local friendly pharmacist, booking an appointment with your own GP surgery to visiting one of our ten minor injury units or the urgent treatment centre at West Cornwall Hospital – please make sure you know ‘where is best’ this autumn.
There is also lots on offer to help with your wellbeing locally; from community hubs to calling the fantastic Cornwall community gateway service for advice. There is also advice on how to contact the emergency dentist.
If you do need urgent care – you may find you are looked after through a virtual ward but if you do need to go to hospital our teams will support you to make plans to get you back home as quickly as possible with support provided in your local area.
Seasonal advice
Visiting the Isles of Scilly?
View our Isles of Scilly health information for tailored advice that you can use before and during your stay.
Cream on Top, our summer advice
In this video NHS staff are joined by other local residents from across Cornwall to explain the range of support available and how to access it.
Video transcript
They’re all things that pharmacists can help you with as well as cuts, sprains and if you run out of medication
If you’re visiting, NHS 111 or your own GP back home can give you advice on prescriptions or anything that is not urgent.
We’re here for persistent or worrying health problems. There’s a range of different health experts at your GP surgery. So it not always a doctor that you need to see.
You can access community support, advice and guidance every day by phone or email through the Community Gateway. They’ll take the time to understand what matters to you.
There’s lot on offer at our network of community hubs including support groups, creative clubs and physical activity, computer support and debt advice. Come along, make some friends, try something new and get the help that you need.
If you’re worried about your or someone else’s mental health please call our 24 7 telephone line for other urgent health care you can get help through NHS111 either online or on the phone.
If you visit a minor injury unit check the opening hours and waiting times online first. Your nearest may not be the quickest.
Please don’t come to the emergency department unless you’ve been told to do so or you believe you have a life threatening condition. This is so that we can focus our care on those who need it most.
And remember in Cornwall always put your cream on top!
Deaf or hard of hearing? You can access NHS services with this support:
- NHS 111:SignVideo: the interpreter telephones an NHS 111 adviser to enable 2 way conversation to access symptoms, give healthcare advice and direct them to the local service they need.
- 999 BSL: enables you contact the emergency services with British Sign Language (BSL) rather than calling 999.
- Relay UK: enables a text relay service between an operator who types the questions and answers between the clinician and the patient.