Why 999 not 111

You will speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a number of questions about your symptoms and concerns, and then advise you on the best course of action for you. This is a free service from landlines and mobiles and is available 24 hours a day, days a year.

This is the best number to call when you are unsure who to call, as they will point you in the right direction and give you peace of mind.

In the UK, also works on landline phones, calls are free and can be dialled from a locked mobile. Whitehall was the original emergency number for the Metropolitan Police. The Information Room was set up at the Metropolitan Police's HQ at Victoria Embankment in to receive calls from the public and to transmit messages via radio waves to police vehicles.

The police had been using wireless communications since and prior to that telegrams. In police arrested a criminal after using the telegram system and later in Dr Crippen was caught after telegrams between London, Canada and a ship in the Atlantic. In the Met Police were taking around 8, calls a month.

Throughout that year 57, emergency calls were for the police, out of a total of 92, By , calls were made to the police in London with over a million for all services across the UK. Today, emergency control centres are located around the country using the latest high tech equipment.

There are three police control centres in London taking millions of calls each year from across the capital. BT receives 30 million emergency calls a year - either to or , the European emergency services number, which works in all European Union countries. There are strict procedures for handling such calls, set out in a code of practice between telecoms operators and the emergency services.

London BBC London You should only call the emergency number if:. You can call the ECC:. Medical numbers explained. Do I call or ? We also have a team of clinicians on hand within our control room who is able to provide additional assessment and advice, when required, over the phone.

Our team of clinicians include GPs, nurses, pharmacists as well as dental and mental health nurses.