Out of Hours

The main Church Street Partnership switchboard is open from 8am until 5pm. For urgent advice from your GP between 5pm and 6.30pm call 01279 657636 and follow the recorded message instructions.

If you need medical advice between 6.30pm and 8am weekdays, at weekends or bank holidays you should dial 111. You will connect to the NHS 111 service and your problem will be assessed by the call handler. You may be given self-help advice or advised to speak to a pharmacist.

For more serious conditions a GP from Herts Urgent Care (HUC) will call you back and discuss the problem further. If you need to be seen before your own surgery reopens you will be offered an appointment with a GP or a home visit (at the discretion of the GP).

Please note that the 111 service operates 24 hours a day and can provide general medical advice. If you are unsure if you need to see a GP, consider calling 111 first.

Accidents and Emergencies

A&E is for life-threatening situations such as a heart attack or stroke and for the care of people who show the symptoms of serious illness or who are badly injured.

Either call 999 and ask for an ambulance or ask someone to drive you to your nearest A&E department. Do not attempt to drive yourself.

Princess Alexandra Hospital: Hamstel Road, Harlow, Essex. CM20 1QX Tel: 01279 444455

Addenbrookes Hospital: Hills Road, Cambridge. CB2 0QQ Tel: 01223 245151

Please note the The QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City no longer has an A&E Department. There is now an Urgent Care Centre based there that operates 24hours a day, 7 days a week. See ‘Minor injuries’ section for details.

Minor Injuries

A nurse lead minor injuries unit operates at the Herts and Essex Hospital, Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm (last registration).

They can treat:

• minor injuries,
• cuts and burns,
• sprains and strains,
• suspected fractures.

They cannot treat:

• children under 2 years of age,
• dressing changes or stitch removal,
• cold symptoms, ear infections or sore throat,
• abdominal or chest pain.

For further advice, visit the Minor Injuries website or telephone the unit on 01279 655191 ext4298.

Minor Injuries Unit Leaflet

Urgent Care Centre

An Urgent Care Centre is available at the QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City from 8am to 10pm daily.

Queen Elizabeth II hospital, Howlands, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 4HQ Telephone: 111

Adults and children of all ages with minor injuries or minor illnesses can go to the Urgent Care Centre. No appointment is necessary.

The Urgent Care Centre will treat:

• Muscle and joint injuries – such as strains, sprains, sudden back or neck pain, tendonitis and soft tissue injuries.
• Suspected fractures and broken bones.
• Bites, stings, cuts, bruises and grazes.
• Burns and scalds.
• Foreign bodies stuck in ears or noses.
• Minor eye injuries.
• Minor head injuries.
• Minor illness that cannot wait until your GP surgery is next open.