When Should You Call 999?

Call 999 when someone's life is at risk. That is the test every ambulance service in the UK applies: you should only call 999 if you, or someone you are with, is suffering a serious or life-threatening emergency that needs immediate treatment¹. If life is in danger, dial 999 immediately². The same number covers police and fire, and the operator will ask which service you need³.

The situations that most often meet the test are someone who is unconscious, not breathing, bleeding severely, has fallen from height, has a traumatic head or other injury, serious burns, severe chest pain or symptoms of a stroke¹. Call 999 immediately if you or someone else is having a heart attack or stroke, because every second counts with these conditions⁴. For a child, call 999 if they seem confused, are breathing fast, have a high body temperature, or are unconscious⁵.

If it is not a life-threatening emergency, other routes are faster for everyone: NHS 111, a pharmacist, a GP, or making your own way to an urgent care service. Calling 999 for something that is not a genuine emergency can delay crews from reaching someone in a life-threatening situation⁶. This page sets out the signs that mean call now, what happens when you do, and which number fits when 999 is not the right one.

Signs that mean call 999 now

Ambulance services group the clearest emergencies around breathing, bleeding, consciousness and trauma. The Scottish Ambulance Service lists the emergencies that warrant 999 as someone who is unconscious, not breathing, bleeding severely, has fallen from height, has a traumatic head or other injury, serious burns, severe chest pains or symptoms of stroke¹. South Western Ambulance Service adds severe allergic reactions and scalds to the list, and major trauma such as a road traffic accident or a fall from height⁹.

Heat illness is on the list too. Call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, unconscious, having difficulty breathing, or has symptoms of heat stroke¹⁰. For a child, the signs to act on are confusion, fast breathing, a high body temperature or unconsciousness⁵.

A stroke is time-critical. The Scottish Ambulance Service's message is blunt: it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of the signs or symptoms¹¹. The same applies to chest pain and severe breathing difficulty: the NHS advises calling 999 or going to A&E if you get sudden chest pain, have severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), or start coughing up blood¹².

Danger from a crime or fire: when 999 is the right call

For police matters, the test is immediacy. Call 999 if you are reporting a crime that is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger⁸. Police Scotland gives the same advice in different words: in an emergency always phone 999, for example when an immediate response is needed because a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, or someone is injured, being threatened or in danger¹³. Anything that does not need an immediate response belongs on 101, which is covered in our guide to non-emergency numbers.

For fire, the advice is to call and then get out. In case of a fire or an emergency situation, call 999 immediately, leave the property, and do not go back in until the fire crews have told you it is safe to do so⁷. If you are in a flat, you should always call 999 and ask for Fire¹⁴. If you are in a high-rise building, call 999 as soon as you are in a place of relative safety¹⁵. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service puts it simply: at any sign of danger or in the event of an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service¹⁶.

Flooding follows the same rule. If lives are in danger or there is a risk of injury, contact the emergency services as soon as possible¹⁷. If life is at risk, call 999¹⁸. Our flooding guide covers what to do before and after the water arrives.

What happens when you call 999

When you call 999 you will be asked if you need the ambulance service, police or fire service³. If it is a medical emergency, ask for the ambulance service and you will be put through to a call taker¹⁹. The call taker will ask what has happened, where you are and whether the person is breathing, so have the address and any landmarks ready. Our guide to giving your exact location explains how to describe where you are when there is no obvious address.

A few things help the call go well. Know the address, including the postcode if you can, and send someone to the door or the roadside to meet the crew if it is safe to do so. If you cannot speak, do not hang up: there are systems for silent calls, covered in what to do if you dial 999 but cannot speak. If you are deaf, the 999 BSL and Relay UK services let you contact the emergency services by video relay or text.

If your mobile has no signal, you may still be able to call 999 through another network, and the 999 and 112 guide explains how the systems work. For a full account of what the operator does with your call, see Calling 999 and 112: What Happens When You Ring.

When it is not a 999 emergency

Most calls for help are not emergencies, and using the right route keeps 999 free. If it is not a life-threatening emergency and you or the person you are with does not need immediate medical attention, consider other options before dialling 999, such as 111.nhs.uk²⁰. NHS 111 can tell you what to do next, whether that is self care at home, a pharmacist, a GP appointment or an urgent care centre²¹.

Prank and hoax calls are not a harmless joke. Only call 999 in an emergency: making a prank or hoax call can get someone in a lot of trouble, and above all it is against the law and could risk someone else not getting help²³. Calling 999 for a problem that is not a genuine emergency can delay crews from reaching someone who is in a life-threatening situation⁶.

For a mental health emergency, the test is immediate danger. NHS guidance is that when someone is in immediate danger or at risk of serious self-harm they must call 999²². Ambulance services list a serious risk of suicide or self-harm, or a person who is extremely distressed, confused or behaving in a way that puts themselves or others at risk, among the reasons to call²⁴. If you are worried about someone's safety but there is no immediate risk, a home safety visit can be arranged through the fire service on 0800 05 02 999⁷.

Going to A&E, or calling 999?

You have two routes to emergency care, and the choice depends on how ill the person is. Ambulance services say you should only call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department in critical or life-threatening situations²⁵. If the person can be moved safely and the condition is not critical, making your own way can be quicker than waiting for an ambulance.

Call 999 rather than driving when the person needs treatment on the way. For sudden chest pain, severe difficulty breathing or coughing up blood, the advice is to call 999 or go to A&E¹². For a suspected stroke, phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance¹¹. For a child who has swallowed something poisonous, call 999 or go to A&E only in critical or life-threatening situations²⁵.

The NHS is clear that people should still call 999 and go to A&E in an emergency, when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk²⁶. If you are unsure whether it is an emergency, call NHS 111 and they will tell you what to do²⁰. Our first aid at home guide covers what to do while you wait.

Calling 112, and calling from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The emergency number works the same way across the UK. In Scotland, you should call 999 in a medical emergency, when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk²⁷. The Scottish Ambulance Service lists heart attack among the reasons to call²⁷. Police Scotland's advice is the same as in England: in an emergency always phone 999¹³.

In Wales, the ambulance service warns that calling 999 for a problem that is not a genuine emergency can delay crews from reaching someone in a life-threatening situation²⁸.

On 112: the emergency services answer it as well as 999, and both reach the same operators. The advice from the ambulance services is to call 999 when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk²⁷. If you are used to 112 from travelling in Europe, it will work here, but there is no advantage to choosing it over 999.