Emergency help for carers
As a carer, you may need help in two types of emergency situations:
- The person you care for needs help
- You’re involved in an emergency yourself and cannot provide care
The person you care for needs help
In an emergency:
Dial 999 for immediate help from the ambulance, police or fire service.
There is an Accident & Emergency department at the Great Western Hospital, Coatside Way, Swindon SN3 6BB. Their telephone number is 01793 604020.
Contact a GP or nurse:
Keep to hand the phone number of your cared-for person’s GP or surgery. Out of normal surgery hours you will be redirected to the urgent GP/nurse centre, which provides cover for GPs:
- from 6.30pm to 8.00am during the week
- all day at weekends and on bank holidays
You can also call the urgent GP/nurse centre directly on 01793 646466. They can provide guidance out of hours, or guidance when you feel you cannot wait for an appointment with your normal GP. You may discuss arranging to visit a walk-in centre where no appointment is required.
Get help from us:
To get help from our Adult Social Care team, call 01793 463333. This line is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Monday to Thursday and 9.00am to 4.30pm on Friday.
Outside of these hours, you can call our Emergency Duty Team on 01793 436699.
You’re in an emergency situation and cannot provide care
As a carer you should plan for what would happen if you were suddenly unable to provide care.
You should register for and carry a Carer’s Emergency Card, which shows:
- your name
- your unique identification number
- two emergency contact numbers
The unique identification number provides access to your emergency plan, which you create when you register to give detailed information about what to do in an emergency situation.
Cost
There is no cost to you to register for a Carer’s Emergency Card.
Register
You register for a card through Swindon Carers Centre.