New to Leeds, or just never sure which service to use? Here is how healthcare works in the city, from registering with a GP to what to do in an emergency.
Registering with a GP is free and is the gateway to most NHS care. Use the NHS ‘Find a GP’ service at nhs.uk to find practices near you. You do not need proof of address, ID or immigration status to register, and a practice cannot refuse you without a good reason.
Dentists: use the NHS website’s ‘Find a dentist’ service to look for practices taking on NHS patients. For urgent dental problems when you do not have a dentist, call NHS 111.
Urgent help: NHS 111 (online at 111.nhs.uk or by phone) can advise and book you into the right service. For minor injuries, the St George’s Centre in Middleton and Wharfedale Hospital in Otley both treat a range of injuries without an appointment. In a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go to A&E — Leeds has emergency departments at Leeds General Infirmary in the city centre and St James’s University Hospital (‘Jimmy’s’).
Pharmacy First: your local pharmacy can treat seven common conditions — including sinusitis, sore throat, earache and uncomplicated urine infections in women — and supply prescription medicine where appropriate, without you needing to see a GP first.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust runs the city’s main hospitals: Leeds General Infirmary, St James’s, Wharfedale Hospital in Otley, Chapel Allerton Hospital and Seacroft Hospital.