You may be able to get palliative care outside your healthcare team's usual working hours.
If you need non-emergency support:
- Call 111 in England, Wales and Scotland.
- Contact your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland.
If it's a medical emergency, call 999.
Out-of-hours care can include treatment or nursing care in the evenings, at night, on weekends and bank holidays. Ask your GP or district nurse what support is available in your area.
Who to call: 111, your GP and palliative care advice lines
If there’s a life-threatening emergency at any time, call 999 for an ambulance.
The 111 service (phone or online) in England, Scotland or Wales
NHS 111 can help with palliative care if you live in England, Scotland or Wales. They can connect you to a nurse or GP, or arrange a home visit. Some areas of the UK have a 24-hour district nurse service.
The 111 service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s available over the phone. Or you can access it online at 111.nhs.uk
You can contact the 111 service via text relay, in British Sign Language or ask for an interpreter in another language, if you need it.
Out-of-hours care in Northern Ireland
There is no 111 service in Northern Ireland. If you live in Northern Ireland, call your GP surgery to be directed to an out-of-hours service. You can also find the number for your local out-of-hours service on the nidirect website.
Some areas have a 24-hour district nursing service. Speak to your GP or district nursing team to find out what services are available where you live, and how to contact them.
Hospice or specialist palliative care team
Some hospices and palliative care teams have a 24-hour phone line you can call. If you are already receiving care from a hospice or specialist palliative care team, you may be able to call them out of hours. You may have been given a specific number to call. For example, it may be a number for the district nurse or community nursing team.
When to call for out of hours care
Contact out-of-hours services if you need help from a healthcare professional when your usual doctor or nurse is not available. In palliative care, this is usually when something feels urgent, or that it cannot wait until tomorrow. For example, if you experience:
- severe pain that is not controlled by the medicines you have
- a sudden change in your condition, like sudden weakness, breathlessness, or agitation
- being sick (vomiting) or feeling sick (nausea) that is not getting better
- any symptoms you feel you cannot manage.
What happens when you call out of hours palliative care?
An out-of-hours adviser will ask you some questions so they can get you the right help. Try to give them as much detail as possible. If you have a list of your medications, it might help to have this with you for the call.
The adviser will decide who to put you in touch with. They can arrange a call back or a home visit from a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional. The time it takes for a call back can vary.
They may advise you to go somewhere for treatment. This could be an NHS walk-in centre, an urgent treatment centre, or the accident and emergency department (A&E) at your hospital. A treatment centre or NHS walk-in centre can also send an ambulance if needed.
Will I have to go to hospital if I contact out-of-hours services?
Calling an out-of-hours service does not mean that you will have to go to hospital. It depends on if they think that’s where you need to go to get the right care.
If you do not want to go to hospital, make this clear to the adviser. They will try to follow your wishes, although it’s not always possible. If you have made a care plan, this may help make sure that your wishes are followed.
What if I need emergency palliative care medication?
If you run out of a medicine and the GP surgery is shut, there are several things you can do.
If you have a prescription
If you have a prescription, you should be able to get your medicine from any pharmacy, if they have it in stock.
Search for pharmacies near you:
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England: Find a pharmacy – NHS
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Scotland: Pharmacies | NHS Inform
If you have run out of a repeat prescription
If you have run out of a repeat prescription, you can use the 111 online emergency prescription service. Or you could try to get an emergency supply from a pharmacy.
In Northern Ireland, you may be able to get an emergency supply of your repeat prescription from a community pharmacist.
If you do not have a prescription
If you do not have your prescription, you may still be able to get an emergency supply from the pharmacy. If you have an old prescription or medicine box, it can help to take that with you.
The pharmacist will ask you some questions, like the dose you usually take, and who usually prescribes the medicine. If they can prescribe it, you may have to pay for it even if you do not normally pay.
They may not be able to prescribe a medicine if they do not think it is appropriate.
You may also be able to get your medicine by going to an urgent treatment centre. Or you can call the 111 service to discuss your options
Just in case medications
Just in case medicines are medicines that can be given quickly if someone has sudden distressing symptoms such as pain or agitation. They are sometimes called anticipatory medicines. Just in case medicines can also be used if someone suddenly cannot take their medicines by mouth (orally) anymore.
A prescription for just in case medications may mean that your symptoms can be managed at home. It may mean that you do not need to go to hospital, if you do not want to.
If you have questions about just in case medicines out of hours, call 111 or your out-of-hours GP service to speak to a healthcare professional. You may also be able to get help from an out of hours district nurse, if available in your area. Or a Marie Curie healthcare professional, if you are already receiving Marie Curie care.
Marie Curie nursing service: overnight and rapid response
Marie Curie specialises in care for people living with a terminal illness. A Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant or Nurse may be able to visit to help take care of you. In some areas, they can visit you out-of-hours. All Marie Curie nursing services are free.
You must be referred to Marie Curie services by a healthcare professional. For example, your GP, district nurse, hospital team or care home staff. Ask them if Marie Curie services would be suitable for you and if they are available in your area.