What to do if you cannot get a GP appointment

If you need medical help but it is not a life-threatening emergency, you may be able to use NHS 111 or an out-of-hours GP service. The service available depends on where you live in the UK.

Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. 

Find out more:

• In England – when to use NHS 111 online or call 111
• In Scotland – when to call 111
• In Wales – when to call 111
• In Northern Ireland – when to call GP out of hours
• NHS 111 – British Sign Language (BSL) service.

111 is free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It’s worth finding out more about your GP surgery appointment system, if you haven’t already. For example:

• ask whether a phone or online appointment is available. Sometimes these are available sooner than waiting for a face-to-face GP appointment.
• check whether appointments are released at a certain time. You could try phoning first thing in the morning, if more appointments are released on the day.
• check your GP surgery website for an online request form.
• ask whether another healthcare professional at the surgery can help. For example, you may be able to get an appointment with a nurse for advice, blood tests and for some types of prescriptions.

If making the appointment is difficult, you could ask a friend or relative to contact the surgery with you or on your behalf.

If you are having cancer treatment or have recently finished treatment, you may not always need to wait to speak to your GP.

If you have contact details for your cancer team, you can ask them who is best to speak to. Depending on your situation, this might include your specialist nurse or another member of your healthcare team.

Can a pharmacist help?

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

• Find your nearest pharmacy
• Find your nearest Boots Macmillan information pharmacists

Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists have been trained to understand more about the impact of a cancer diagnosis, treatments and how to support people affected by cancer.  

Can I get support from a Macmillan Cancer Centre?

Macmillan information and support centres are usually based in hospitals and community spaces across the UK. 

You can find your nearest information and support centre by entering your postcode in our online tool and searching for support in your area. This will show you cancer services provided by lots of other organisations as well as Macmillan.

If you have cancer or are worried about cancer and are not sure where to turn, you can contact the Macmillan Support Line.

Our cancer information and support specialists can help you find the right information and support. Our cancer nurses can also talk to you about your diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and side effects.

You can speak to our nurses or cancer support specialists in your own language, including BSL, via an interpreter. You need to request your language in English when you call.

Our Online Community is a free online place for people who are affected by cancer to chat about the issues affecting them. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also read the Community blog - Tips on navigating the health service.

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan's Digital Content Editor team. Learn more about our Digital Content Editors and how we produce our cancer information. 

Accurate information helps you make informed choices. Look for trustworthy, reliable sources such as Macmillan Cancer Support, the NHS and your own healthcare team. 

Add Macmillan as a preferred source

You can now add Macmillan as a preferred source on Google. Google will remember that you trust Macmillan and will be more likely to show you our web pages. Click on the image to set this up.