Emergency numbers and help in United Kingdom

The numbers

• 999 and 112 are identical. Both are free, both work from a locked phone with no credit, and the operator asks which service you need.
• 111 is the one visitors do not know about and should. It handles anything medical that is not immediately life-threatening, in the middle of the night, free, and it can book you into an urgent care slot directly.
• 101 is for reporting a theft, a lost passport or a non-urgent crime. You will need the crime reference number it gives you for any insurance claim.
• Text 999 works if you register your phone in advance, which matters if you are deaf or unable to speak.

If you cannot speak or cannot be found

• Call 999, and if you cannot talk, cough or tap the handset, then press 55 when prompted. The Silent Solution system connects you to police.
• What3Words is used by UK emergency services and is the fastest way to give a location in open country. Install it before a hike, not during one.
• Mountain rescue is reached through 999, asking for police and then mountain rescue. It is free and staffed by volunteers.

Emergency Alerts

• The UK sends emergency alerts to every mobile phone in an affected area when there is a danger to life, such as severe flooding. It is loud, it overrides silent mode, and it lasts about 10 seconds.
• A national test happens occasionally. It is not a malfunction and you do not need to do anything.

Before you need any of it

• Save your insurer's 24-hour assistance number somewhere reachable without data.
• Photograph your passport and store it separately from the passport.
• Know where your embassy is. Nearly all are in London, with some consulates in Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast.
• If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to police on 101 for the reference number, then contact your embassy.