Check-ups, appointments and emergencies

If you are feeling under the weather, you can book an appointment to see a doctor or dentist - making one is simple.

Getting a check-up

You should go for a dental check-up every six months to make sure that there are no problems with your teeth or gums. Some dentists will delete you from their list of registered patients if you don't make an appointment within a certain period of time. If this happens, you'll have to register again with a new one.

Unless you have a specific medical condition that needs monitoring, you don't need to make a regular appointment for a check-up at your GP. But if you are planning to start exercising more regularly, or if you're planning to go travelling abroad, you should talk to your doctor about what this may mean for your health.

Making and keeping appointments

To make an appointment with a doctor or a dentist, you'll need to call the surgery.

If you make an appointment, make sure that you don't miss it. If you want to re-arrange an appointment, you should try and let the surgery know a couple of days before so they can give your slot to someone else.

Some dentists may charge you for missed appointments. Dentists and GPs may also remove you from their list of patients if you're always missing appointments.

Out-of-hours GP services

The doctor out-of-hours service is there for people who need urgent medical treatment that they would normally receive from their GP - but who cannot wait until the practice is opened the next day.

Out of hours contacts

Organisation	Area/Town(s)	Phone number	Textphone
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust	North and West Belfast South and East Belfast	028 9074 4447 028 9079 6220	18001 028 9074 4447 18001 028 9079 6220
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust	North Down and Ards Lisburn and Downpatrick	028 9182 2344 028 9260 2204	18001 028 9182 2344 18001 028 9260 2204
Dalriada Urgent Care	Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Cookstown, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Larne, Magherafelt, Moyle and Newtownabbey council areas	0870 532 9024	18001 0870 532 9024
Southern Health and Social Care Trust	Armagh and Dungannon, Craigavon and Banbridge, Newry and Mourne	0870 600 6009	18001 0870 600 6009
Western Urgent Care	Enniskillen, Omagh, Strabane, Londonderry, Limavady	028 7186 5195	18001 028 7186 5195

Organisation

Area/Town(s)

Phone number

Textphone

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

North and West Belfast

South and East Belfast

028 9074 4447

028 9079 6220

18001 028 9074 4447

18001 028 9079 6220

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

North Down and Ards

Lisburn and Downpatrick

028 9182 2344

028 9260 2204

18001 028 9182 2344

18001 028 9260 2204

Dalriada Urgent Care

Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Cookstown, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Larne, Magherafelt, Moyle and Newtownabbey council areas

0870 532 9024

18001 0870 532 9024

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Armagh and Dungannon, Craigavon and Banbridge, Newry and Mourne

0870 600 6009

18001 0870 600 6009

Western Urgent Care

Enniskillen, Omagh, Strabane, Londonderry, Limavady

028 7186 5195

18001 028 7186 5195

Please note if the condition is potentially life-threatening (eg: suspected heart attack) telephone 999 direct.

Emergencies

If you're unable to get to a surgery because you're seriously ill, your doctor may be able to visit you at home. If you do phone up a surgery and ask for a home visit, you'll be asked questions to find out if the doctor needs to see you at home, or whether you should go to a hospital.

You may also want to visit the accident and emergency department of your nearest hospital if you're seriously ill or if you've had an accident. If there's no-one able to take you to hospital and it's an emergency, you can phone 999 and ask for an ambulance.