Medical care & emergencies

Non - life threatening

If you become unwell when visiting Scotland and consider you need medical care or advice, you should telephone 111 for help. This will put you through to ‘NHS 24’, a twenty-fourhour service run by the National Health Service.

A specialist nurse will assess your needs over the telephone and inform you of what to do, including - if necessary - which hospital or minor injuries unit need to attend. Please do not just turn up at the Accident and Emergency department at a local hospital, or you may have a VERY long wait and may be sent elsewhere.

For more information (including on Covid-19, dental treatment, mental health, and running out of medication) please see: https://www.nhs24.scot/Our-Services/when-to-phone-111

Life threatening and emergencies

In a life-threatening emergency, you should always telephone 999 for an ambulance. Do not telephone 111. In an emergency, you can also telephone 999 for police, fire brigade, mountain rescue or coastguard.

If you do not live in Scotland - or any other UK country - then you should have health insurance for your visit. This should include emergency repatriation to your home country by air ambulance (which is incredibly expensive without insurance coverage).

If you are injured whilst driving and need treatment the National Health Service will seek reimbursement from your vehicle insurance.

For minor ailments, you can go to a local pharmacy. They can also give advice and dispense some medicines without a need of a prescription. More powerful medicines, and controlled drugs need a doctor’s prescription; telephone NHS 24 on 111 if you need this.