When to call 111, 999 or your health visitor
Print this and put it somewhere you will find it at 3am — inside a kitchen cupboard, or on the fridge. You will not want to be searching for it when you need it.
This is not a diagnosis tool, and it cannot replace medical advice.
It summarises NHS advice to help you decide who to contact. It cannot tell you what is wrong, and no list can cover everything. If you are worried, contact someone — always. In an emergency call 999.
Call 999 now — or go straight to A&E
Any one of these on its own is enough. Do not wait to see if it passes.
- Looks mottled, blue or very pale
- Is very lethargic, floppy, or hard to wake
- Feels abnormally cold to touch
- Is breathing very fast, grunting, or pulling in under the ribs
- Has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
- Has a fit or convulsion
- Is not feeding at all, or vomiting repeatedly
- Has not passed urine for 12 hours
- Under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or above
Say the words: “Could it be sepsis?” Ask it out loud. Sepsis moves fast and is very treatable when caught early.
Call 111 — day or night
When you are worried but nothing above applies. 111 is open 24 hours and they would far rather you called.
- A fever you are unsure about
- Feeding much less than usual, or fewer wet nappies
- Unusually sleepy, unusually irritable, or a cry that sounds wrong
- Vomiting or diarrhoea that will not settle
- A rash you are not sure about — that does fade when pressed
- Not themselves, and you cannot say why
GP or health visitor — in the next day or so
- Feeding, weight or reflux worries
- Skin, sleep or nappy-area problems that are not settling
- Anything about their development, speech or hearing
- Your own mood and mental health — this counts, and it matters
The rule that overrides everything on this sheet
If you think your child is seriously unwell, get help — whatever this or any other list says. You know your child. Nobody will mind you calling. Nobody has ever been told off for ringing 999 about a baby.
If you called earlier and they have got worse, call again. Getting worse is new information.