Skip navigation
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) logo
  • Ambulance Academy
  • News
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Donate
Use this link to enable the ReciteMe accessibility toolkit Enable ReciteMe accessibility tools
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?

Search the site

  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Ambulance Academy
  • News
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Donate
Home > Ambulance Academy > Young adults > How to get help > When to call 999

When to call 999

The ambulance service is here to help people in an emergency; when a person has a serious illness or injury and needs help right away.

Share this page

The ambulance service is here to help people in an emergency; when a person has a serious illness or injury and needs help right away.

If you, a friend or a family member need help in an emergency, shout for help and call 999 for the emergency services. The operator will ask which service you need. Tell them you need the ambulance service.

We will answer your call and ask you questions so that we can help. Keep calm and listen carefully to the questions – they are very important and will help you look after the person who is hurt or ill.

We will ask you where the emergency is, so we know where to send help. If you are at home, we need to know the number of your house and the name of your street.

Tip: if you don’t know your address, look in your house for a letter, or if you are outside and someone is nearby, ask if they know where you are.

If the person you are with isn’t breathing you may be asked to do CPR, if you do not feel confident to do this please let the person on the phone know.

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. Not to mention, hoax calls waste time and could risk someone else not getting the help they need in an emergency.

Our emergency ambulance service is here to help everyone who needs it, read and learn the tips and skills above and you could save someone’s life.

Also in this section

  • When to call 999

  • When should you contact 111?

  • Patient transport service (PTS)


Contact us

General enquiries

0345 112 0999 To call general enquiries, click this link or dial 0345 112 0999

These numbers should NOT be used to contact us in an emergency. In an emergency dial 999 immediately or for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.

How to find us

Directions to our offices
CQC Good rating widget

  • Help
  • Privacy policy
  • Freedom of Information
  • Contact us
  • Green Room

© Copyright 2023 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
. Lovingly crafted by Mixd