Out of Hours

If you are unwell in the evening, overnight or at the weekend:Contact the Urgent Care Services for Dorset and Somerset (UCSDS) on 0845 600 1013.

This service is for urgent medical situations. If you or a member of your family becomes ill and you are concerned. It is not for routine enquiries, such as booking an appointment with you GP, repeat prescriptions, test results etc.

When you ring the UCSDS your call will go through to the call centre in St Leonard’s, Dorset. A trained member of staff will answer the telephone and take some details from you They will pass your details straight over to a doctor or nurse, who will ring you back to ask you more about the problem and, with you, will decide the best option for you, depending on the seriousness of your condition this might be:

Advice over the telephoneA visit to the local treatment centreA home visit by a nurse, doctor or paramedic.

Your local paper will have details of pharmacies open late on weekdays and on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

If you injury or illness is severe of if you have had a serious accident telephone 999 and ask for an ambulance. Alternatively you can visit your local A&E Department.

When should I call an ambulance of go straight to hospital?Chest pain where a heart attack is suspected is a reason to telephone 999. So is discovery of any unconscious person with no pulse, or a patient who has severe difficulty with breathing. Severe injuries (including suspected fractures or suturing) need to be seen at hospital.