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English
Everyone living in the United Kingdom
is entitled to free treatment by a
family doctor and in hospital. You may
need to prove that you are living here.
If you have had a serious accident or
are very ill, and need medical
treatment immediately, you should
telephone 999 or 112 and ask for an
ambulance.
If you need general health advice, or
want to know what services are
available, you can call NHS Directon 0845
46 47.
The NHS is a very big and complex
organisation, and it may be confusing
trying to get the help you need. If you
are not sure what to do, you can
contact the
Patient Advice and
Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 0851
067.
Family doctors –
often called ‘GPs’ – look after your
general health. They can provide advice
and treatment when you become ill,
issue you with a prescription to get
medicines or send you to see a
specialist doctor at a hospital. You
need to register at a doctor’s surgery
near where you live by going to the
surgery and filling in a form.
If you need to see the doctor you
should make an appointment by
telephoning your surgery. If you become
ill during the evening or at the
weekend, when your doctor’s surgery is
closed, you should call the Out of Hours
Medical Service on 0845 408 8000.
There are a whole range of other health
services too. These include:
- Pharmacie
s or
Chemists which dispense medicines
prescribed by a doctor. You will have
to pay a charge unless you are under 18
or on benefits. They also sell many
other medicines and can offer advice on
minor illnesses.
- Dentists who look
after your teeth. You should join a
dental surgery and have a check-up to
find out if you need any treatment. You
may need to pay for treatment unless
you are under 18 or on benefits.
- Opticians test you
sight and supply glasses and contact
lenses. Some people are able to get eye
tests free of charge.
- Health visitors and
community nurses who visit certain
patients at home.
- Sexual health
clinics which can offer
contraception, advice about safe sex,
and treatment for sexual diseases.
- Mental health services if you are
depressed, anxious or have other mental
health problems.
- Help to stop
smoking.
To find further
details of these services, visit
the Somerset NHS
website.
There are two types of hospital:
General hospitals provide the full
range of medical care including
surgery. If you need to be seen in a
general hospital, you will be sent
there by your doctor. General hospitals
have Accident and Emergency Departments
where you can go if you have had an
accident or become suddenly very ill.
If you have a severe injury or a
serious accident, you should telephone
999 or 112 and ask for an ambulance.
There are general hospitals with
Accident and Emergency departments
at:
Community hospitals provide care closer
to home for patients who have been in a
general hospital, or whose illness is
not serious enough to need treatment at
a general hospital. Many, but not all,
community hospitals have Minor Injury Units or
Treatment Centres which can treat
you if you have had a minor accident or
have become suddenly ill.
For further
details about the hospitals in
Somerset and surrounding areas, visit
the Somerset NHS website.
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