Guidance

Get urgent help and report a crime: Homes for Ukraine

Who to call in an emergency, like police, fire or ambulance services.

From:
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Published
16 January 2023

If you are in danger, your life or the lives of others are at risk or you are injured, call: 999

Call for help in an emergency

You can use the same number for all the emergency services:

  • Police
  • Fire and rescue
  • Ambulance
  • Coastguard

The number to call is:

  • 999 is the number to call in an emergency. For example, if you are the victim of a crime, badly injured or see a fire. This is a free number
  • 112 is also a common emergency telephone number that is free to use from most mobile telephones, and in some countries, fixed telephones. It can be used instead of 999 and will connect you to the same services.

For non-urgent situations you can call for police on 101. This is for:

  • if your property is damaged or stolen
  • you believe drugs or related crimes are happening in your area
  • to share information about other crime in your area

If you have an urgent medical problem but you’re not sure what to do, call 111:

You will answer questions about your symptoms by speaking to a fully trained adviser on the phone.

You can ask for a translator if you need one.

Depending on the situation you will:

  • find out what local service can help you
  • be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
  • get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
  • be given an arrival time if you need to go to A&E. This might mean you spend less time in A&E
  • be told how to get any medicine you need
  • get self-care advice

The emergency services

Police

The police are there to help you as part of their role to keep people safe and uphold the law.

You should not be afraid to approach them if you are the victim of a crime, see a crime happening, or for general help, for example, if you are lost.

If you are not satisfied with the service you have received from the police, you can complain directly to the police unit or office in question or the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Fire and rescue

The fire and rescue service have four key responsibilities:

  • extinguishing fires in their area
  • protecting life and property in the event of fires in their area
  • rescuing and protecting people in the event of a road traffic collision, and
  • rescuing and protecting people in the event of other emergencies.

Medical

Both urgent and emergency care services play a specific part in supporting patients to receive the right care, by the right person, as quickly as possible.

To make sure patients get the right care, it is important to understand the difference between urgent and emergency care:

  • Emergency: Life threatening illnesses or accidents which require immediate, intensive treatment. Services that should be accessed in an emergency include ambulances and emergency departments.
  • Urgent: An illness or injury that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. Urgent care services include a phone consultation through the NHS111 Clinical Assessment Service, pharmacy advice, out-of-hours GP appointments, or referral to an urgent treatment centre (UTC). If you are unsure what service is needed, NHS111 can help to assess and direct you to the appropriate service.

Protecting and caring for your children

The UK takes the welfare of children very seriously.

Read the NSPCC’s guidance about leaving your child or children at home alone.

If you are worried about your child or another child for any reason, including that they may be experiencing, or at risk of, physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect contact:

  • the local council where the child lives
  • National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) on 0808 800 5000
  • Childline on 0800 1111

If you think that a child is at immediate risk of harm, call the Police on 999 or 112.

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is a serious crime in the UK.

Anyone of any gender who is violent or abusive towards their partner, spouse or another family member, whether they are married, living together or separated can be prosecuted.

Find out how to get help if you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse.

More information and help is available from other support services, including:

Sexual violence

Sexual violence is a crime, no matter who commits it or where it happens. Don’t be afraid to get help.

If you would like to report a crime of sexual violence, you can contact the police on 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency situation.

You do not have to report to the police if you do not want to. If you have experienced sexual violence or abuse at any time, there are services that offer different types of support that you can access:

  • speak to your GP
  • go to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). SARCs offer a range of services, such as crisis care, emergency contraception and testing for sexually transmitted infections. SARCs can also collect evidence that may be useful if you decide to report to the police. You can request this evidence to be collected even if decide not to report to the police. Read more information about SARCs and how to find your nearest SARC
  • speak to a voluntary organisation that can provide advice and support, such as Rape Crisis, The Survivors Trust, Safeline or the Male Survivors’ Partnership

You can call

  • the Male Survivors’ Partnership helpline on 0808 800 5005
  • the Survivors Trust’s helpline on 0808 801 0818
  • Rape Crisis’s helpline on 0808 802 9999

Find out how to get support if you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual violence.

Modern slavery and human trafficking

There may be a small number of people who may try to exploit vulnerable people.

Modern slavery can affect people of all ages, gender and races and includes a range of different forms of exploitation.

There are 4 main types of modern slavery:

  • labour exploitation
  • criminal exploitation
  • sexual exploitation
  • domestic servitude

For more information and how to spot the signs, read modern slavery awareness and victim identification guidance.

There is more information on what modern slavery is and how the police deal with this crime.

If you have concerns that you or someone you know may be being exploited, there people who can help you. You can contact:

  • the Police on 999 in an emergency or 101 for situations that aren’t urgent
  • the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline on 08000 121 700 or online using the Modern Slavery Helpline.

If you, or someone you know is being forced to work for someone against your will either under threat then you can report this to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on 0800 432 0804 or through the GLAA website.

Published 16 January 2023
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