Health advice

The National Health Service (NHS), through hospitals and other healthcare trusts, provides treatment, services and advice to people who are ill or have had an accident, and to help them stay healthy. If you need advice about your health, the NHS Choices website has a wealth of information on specific conditions, and useful tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The NHS also have a Health Apps library, where you can download and use applications to help you manage your own health. All the Apps in this library have been reviewed by the NHS and rated by people who use them.

Barndoc

Barndoc is an out of hours service is for patients who have urgent health needs that cannot wait until their GP practice is next open. Barndoc provides out of hours GP cover between 6.30pm and 8am on weekdays, and from 6.30pm on a Friday to 08.00am Monday and on bank holidays.

Patients in Barnet can access out of hours services by phoning the new NHS 111 telephone number.  Every GP surgery when closed will now have the 111 number on their voicemail. 

If patients are transferred from 111 to Barndoc, they can expect:

• to receive a telephone call back from a GP who will give them healthcare advice and/or
• a consultation with a GP at either Edgware Community Hospital or Finchley Memorial Hospital , or if it is convenient at Chase Farm Hospital , Enfield or  The Laurels Healthy Living Centre, Haringey 
• a home visit if clinically appropriate.

NHS 111

If you need to speak to someone about an illness, you should first contact your GP. If this is not possible, you should call NHS 111. NHS 111 is a new non-emergency telephone service designed to help people access local health services. Residents will be able to call 111 when they need medical help or advice, but it isn’t a 999 emergency. NHS 111 will replace NHS Direct as the single number to call for urgent care advice.

People should call 111 if:

• it's not a 999 emergency
• they think they may need urgent care and their GP surgery is closed
• they don't think it can wait for an appointment with their GP
• they don't know who to call for medical help.

NHS 111 is free to call and is a fast and easy way to get the right medical help. NHS 111 is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced clinicians, who ask callers questions to assess symptoms, give healthcare advice and direct callers to the right local service as quickly as possible. This can include a local GP, another doctor, urgent care centre, community nurses, emergency dentist or late-opening chemist.

When someone calls 111, they are assessed straight away. If it is an emergency, an ambulance will be dispatched immediately without the need for any further assessment.

NHS 111 will be staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free – just like 999. 

In an emergency, you should call 999.

On this site, we have provided some useful advice on keeping cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. There is also information about our specialist drug and alcohol service for those who need support.

Our directory provides details of the main health services available in Barnet. It also gives details of voluntary groups and specialist organisations, which can provide information and support on specific health problems and disabilities.