When something urgent happens, the hardest part is often deciding where to go. A&E, NHS 111, a GP you can't get hold of, or the pharmacy on the corner — the wrong choice costs hours you don't have, and sometimes more than that.
This is a short, practical guide for people in Borough and the wider SE1 area. It sets out what belongs where, and what Qrystal Pharmacy at 301 Borough High Street can handle the same day, without an appointment.
Call 999 immediately for these
Don't deliberate, don't drive, don't look for a pharmacy. Call 999 for:
- Chest pain, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Signs of stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech (act FAST)
- Heavy bleeding that won't stop
- Loss of consciousness, or a seizure in someone with no history of them
- Severe allergic reaction — swelling of the face, lips, or throat
- Serious injury, or severe burns
The NHS keeps a clear summary of what warrants emergency care on its when to go to A&E page. If you're genuinely unsure whether something is an emergency, treat it as one.
Not an emergency, but it can't wait: NHS 111
For everything urgent that isn't life-threatening, NHS 111 is the right first call. It's free, available 24 hours a day, every day, and works online as well as by phone.
111 will assess your symptoms and direct you — to a pharmacy, an urgent treatment centre, an out-of-hours GP, a dental service, or an ambulance if it turns out to be more serious than you thought. It's particularly valuable at night, at weekends, and over bank holidays, when it's the fastest route to someone who can actually decide.
Emergency departments, urgent treatment centres, and out-of-hours services in the area change their hours and remits from time to time. Rather than rely on a list that ages, check what's open near you right now with the NHS service finder — or let 111 route you.
What a pharmacy can deal with the same day
A great deal of what sends people to A&E doesn't need to be there. We're open six days a week without appointments, and we can treat considerably more than most people realise.
Pharmacy First allows our pharmacists to assess and, where clinically appropriate, treat seven common conditions on the NHS, on the spot:
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Earache (in children aged 1–17)
- Infected insect bites
- Impetigo
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (women aged 16–64)
No GP appointment, no referral, no charge for the consultation. Where antibiotics are genuinely indicated, we supply them there and then — which for shingles in particular matters, because antiviral treatment works best when started within 72 hours of the rash appearing.
We can also advise immediately on minor injuries, allergic reactions, medicines you've run out of, and whether the thing you're worried about needs escalating. That last one is free and takes two minutes.
Emergency contraception — free, same-day, confidential
One of the most genuinely time-critical things a pharmacy provides is emergency contraception, and it's the one people most often delay over.
Under the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service we supply it free of charge, after a short consultation in our private room. There's no GP appointment, no need to be registered with us, and no conversation at the front counter — you only have to tell our team you'd like a consultation.
What matters:
- Sooner is more effective. Levonorgestrel works up to 72 hours after unprotected sex; ulipristal acetate works up to 120 hours (5 days). Effectiveness declines with time in both cases, so same-day is better than tomorrow.
- The pharmacist helps you choose between the two, based on timing, weight, and any other medicines you take.
- There's no minimum age. If you're under 16 we follow Fraser guidelines and can still help confidentially.
- The copper IUD is the most effective option of all, and we can refer you to a local sexual-health service for it.
- We'll also discuss ongoing contraception and where to get STI testing, if that's useful.
The whole consultation takes five to ten minutes. Walk in during opening hours, or call 020 7403 2237 and we'll have the room ready. The NHS overview of the options is on its emergency contraception page.
When we're closed
Our hours are Monday to Friday 9:00–18:30 and Saturday 9:00–14:00. Outside those:
- NHS 111 — 24/7, by phone or online, for urgent advice and onward routing.
- NHS service finder — for late-opening pharmacies and urgent treatment centres near you.
- 999 — for anything in the emergency list above.
If you take regular medication, the best insurance against an out-of-hours scramble is boring: nominate us through the Electronic Prescription Service and order repeats early before bank holidays.
Quick reference
- Chest pain, stroke signs, severe bleeding or breathing difficulty → call 999
- Urgent, but not life-threatening → NHS 111, 24 hours a day
- Sore throat, sinusitis, shingles, UTI, earache → Pharmacy First at Qrystal, same day
- Emergency contraception → Qrystal — free, private, walk in
- Run out of essential medication → call us, we can often help
Finding us
301 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JH — about 2 minutes from Borough Underground, 8 minutes from London Bridge station, and a short walk from Borough Market and Guy's Hospital. Frequent buses stop directly outside.
- Call: 020 7403 2237
- Get in touch or book a consultation
Knowing where to go before you need to know is most of the battle. Save the number.
