Emergency escalation protocol
Your Safety Comes First
Our service is designed to provide safe, high-quality, GP-led care for women. However, it is important to understand that we are not an emergency service and cannot respond to urgent or life-threatening situations.
If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, you must call 999 or attend your nearest Accident & Emergency (A&E) department immediately.
Delaying emergency care to contact a GP—online or in person—may put your health at risk.
When To Seek Emergency Care
You should seek immediate medical attention via 999 or A&E if you experience symptoms such as:
- Chest pain, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breathÂ
- Sudden weakness, numbness, or difficulty speakingÂ
- Severe abdominal pain or uncontrolled bleedingÂ
- Loss of consciousness or seizuresÂ
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)Â
- Suicidal thoughts or immediate mental health crisisÂ
- Any symptom that feels sudden, severe, or life-threateningÂ
If you are unsure, NHS guidance is clear: it is always safer to treat it as an emergency.
Urgent (Non-Life-Threatening) Concerns
For urgent medical concerns that are not life-threatening, you should contact:
- NHS 111 (available 24/7)Â
- Your local GP practiceÂ
- An urgent care centre or walk-in centreÂ
Our service may not be able to provide same-day urgent care, and we do not operate as an urgent response service.
Our Role As A GP-Led Service
We provide planned, structured, and continuous care, not emergency or acute response services.
Our GPs in London and across the UK are responsible for:
- Assessing and managing non-emergency medical concernsÂ
- Identifying when symptoms require escalationÂ
- Advising patients to seek urgent or emergency care when appropriateÂ
- Coordinating follow-up care after an emergency has been addressedÂ
If, during a consultation, your GP identifies a potential emergency, you will be advised to seek immediate care via NHS emergency pathways.
Escalation During Consultations
If a concern arises during your consultation that requires urgent or emergency attention:
- Your GP will clearly advise you on the level of urgencyÂ
- You may be asked to call 999 immediately or attend A&EÂ
- Where appropriate, you may be advised to contact NHS 111 for urgent guidanceÂ
- Our team may assist with clinical documentation or referral information, but we do not arrange emergency transport or direct hospital admissionsÂ
This approach aligns with NHS general practice standards, where patient safety and timely escalation are prioritised.
Our Service Model & Clinical Responsibility
We operate as a GP-led network, working with independent clinicians and partner locations across the UK.
- Consultations are delivered by qualified, GMC-registered GPsÂ
- In-person care may take place within partner facilities or third-party clinical environmentsÂ
- Each clinician is responsible for delivering care within their professional and regulatory frameworkÂ
While we coordinate care and provide a central point of contact, emergency services are always delivered through NHS pathways (999, A&E, NHS 111).
We do not replace emergency services, hospital care, or urgent NHS access points.
After Emergency Care
Following any emergency or urgent medical event, we encourage you to return to your GP for:
- Review and follow-up of your conditionÂ
- Ongoing management and monitoringÂ
- Coordination of any further investigations or specialist referralsÂ
Our role is to ensure your care remains continuous, coordinated, and clearly understood after the immediate risk has been addressed.
How This Relates To Our Services
This page should be read alongside:
- What We Treat – conditions appropriate for GP-led careÂ
- What We Don’t Treat – conditions requiring urgent, emergency, or specialist servicesÂ
If your symptoms fall outside our scope or require urgent attention, we will always guide you to the most appropriate and safest care pathway.
Important Reminder
If you are in doubt about your symptoms:
👉 Call 999 or go to A&E immediately
👉 Or contact NHS 111 for urgent advice
Your safety is always the priority.