Signposting
For information and advice about local health and social care services, or to provide feedback about these services, you can contact our Helpdesk.
Based on some of the queries we regularly receive, we have also put together some information and useful links about the following:
- NHS health care: urgent care, dentistry, sexual health services.
- Social care
- Mental health support
- Children and young people
- Carers information
- Help with understanding healthcare
- Feedback and complaints
- If you need help to make a complaint (Advocacy services)
- Directories for Surrey residents.
Not a Surrey Resident? Each area has a local Healthwatch where you can find advice and information about local health and social care services.
Find your local Healthwatch | Healthwatch
NHS health care
Urgent care
NHS 111: If you are concerned about your health and unable to contact your GP during the day, or its out of hours call NHS 111. If you are calling on behalf of someone over 5 years of age, you can also use NHS 111 online.
NHS 111 online or call 111 – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Information about NHS 111 in alternative formats:
- Easy Read guide: ISL221 18 NHS111 (assets.nhs.uk) .
- Large print: Help Us Help You – 111 (assets.nhs.uk) .
- Audio information: NHS 111 Information by NHS England (soundcloud.com) .
- BSL interpreter service: follow the steps outlined on the page: Other ways to contact 111 – NHS 111
- Relay UK app or a textphone: call 18001 111. More information about how to use the Relay UK app or a textphone: How to use Relay UK | Relay UK (bt.com)
Walk in Centres: Walk in Centres provide medical help when it is not a life threatening emergency.
- Find your nearest Walk in Centre: Find Urgent Care services – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Dentistry
- Find an NHS dentist: Find your nearest NHS dentist: Find a dentist – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Understanding NHS dental charges: Information about NHS dental charges: Understanding NHS dental charges – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Dental Choices: Dental Choices offer independent information and advice on NHS dentistry in England: Dental Choices » Find an NHS dentist taking new NHS patients
- Urgent Dental Care: If you have a dental problem that requires urgent treatment and are unable to access your registered dentist, contact NHS 111 and they will advise you on next steps.
Sexual health services
Sexual health services offer a range of services, including: testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) advice and information about sexual health, free condoms, contraception – including emergency contraception, such as the morning after pill.
- To find your nearest sexual health clinic: Sexual health clinic information | Healthy Surrey
- If you would like to order a home testing kit: At Home Testing Order Forms | CNWL Sexual Health Services
- Further information: Sexual health information and services | Healthy Surrey
Social care
Adult social care: Information about adult social care and to request a financial assessment, care assessment or carers assessment
www.surreycc.gov.uk/adultsocialcareonline
Adult social care advice line: For information and advice about adult social care services, contact the Adult social care advice line
Contact adult social care – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
Raising a safeguarding concern: If you are at risk of abuse or neglect, or know someone who is, you can raise a safeguarding concern via Surrey County Council.
- For adults: Safeguarding adults – report abuse or neglect – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
- For children or young people (under 18): Report a concern about a child or young person – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC): Provides advice and support understanding direct payments, personal health budgets and arrange care and support you need.
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) (surreyilc.org.uk)
CQC (Care Quality Commission): The CQC is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. it is responsible for checking all hospitals, dentists, care homes and care services to see if they meet national standards.
Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)
SCIE: The Social care institute for excellence works to improve the lives of all ages by co-producing, sharing, and supporting the use of what works best in social care.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
Mental health support
Samaritans: Samaritans can provide a listening ear if you are struggling with your mental health. They can also provide information for family, friends, and carers about supporting someone struggling with their mental health
SHOUT: Shout is a text only crisis line which is open 24/7
Shout – UK’s 24/7 Crisis Text Service for Mental Health Support | Shout 85258 (giveusashout.org)
MindWorks: Mindworks is the new emotional and mental health service for children and young people. The mindworks website provides lots of information, signposting and advice for children, young people, and their families.
Mindworks Surrey (mindworks-surrey.org)
SABP Crisis Line: The Surrey and Borders Partnership offers a mental health crisis line, for mental health advice and support. The SABP Crisis line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Crisis Mental Health Helpline : Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (sabp.nhs.uk)
Save havens: Save havens provide out of hours help and support to people who are experiencing mental health crisis or emotional distress and their carers. You can visit a safe haven in person, or online.
Safe Havens: Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (sabp.nhs.uk)
Kooth: Kooth is an online mental health and emotional wellbeing platform for children and young people aged 10-18.
Papryus: Papyrus prevention of young suicide in the UK is a charity which is working to prevent suicide and promote positive mental health and wellbeing in young people.
Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide (papyrus-uk.org)
Beat: Beat provides information, advice, and support for those who have an eating disorder and their families and carers.
The UK’s Eating Disorder Charity – Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk)
Every Mind Matters: Every mind matters provides self-help guidance, information, and advice about accessing mental health support
Every Mind Matters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Mentell: Mentell is a men’s mental health charity providing free online circles for men aged 18+ talk in a safe and confidential space.
Children and young people
Mindworks Access and Advice line: Provides advice and signposting to existing support and act as a gateway for more specialist or clinical support.
Mindworks Surrey: support and advice (mindworks-surrey.org)
Mindworks Out of hours neurodiversity phone line: Provides advice to parents who are struggling with behaviours or difficulties which could be related to a neurodevelopmental need.
Out of hours advice line: Mindworks Surrey (mindworks-surrey.org)
0-19 Advice line: The 0-19 Advice line is available to parents and carers of babies, children, and young people for all aspects of health, development, and support.
Children and families | Healthy Surrey
Surrey Family Information Service: Is a directory of services which includes information about childcare, holiday clubs, support groups and more.
Family Information Service – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
The Mix: The Mix is the leading support service for young people and can support with a range of challenges that young people face.
The Mix – Essential support for under 25s
Call a Midwife line: Call a midwife line provides advice to expectant mothers at any point in their pregnancy and for the first few weeks after birth.
Children and young people – ICS (surreyheartlands.org)
Frimley Park MAMA’s Line: Frimley’s MAMA’s line is a 24/7 phoneline staffed by midwifes to provide support and information from 16 weeks’ gestation to 1 month postpartum.
Call the midwife | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust (fhft.nhs.uk)
Carers information
Giving Carers a Voice: Our Giving Carers a Voice service listens to the views of carers about local services. It aims to involve people of any age who have caring responsibilities in the design and delivery of the services they use as they support their relatives, friends and neighbours.
Giving Carers a Voice – LUMINUS
Action for Carers Surrey: Action for Carers offers a range of support for unpaid carers. This includes information and advice, practical support, and a range of carer support groups.
Crossroads Care Surrey: Provides information, advice and practical support to all unpaid carers, their families, and the people they care for.
Carers Trust: Offers information and advice for unpaid carers and allows you to search for local support.
SEND Advice Surrey: SEND advice surrey provides information and advice for the parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs.
National Autistic Society Surrey Branch: Offers information about a range of services and support groups for those with autism and their families and carers.
Surrey Heartlands carers page: Offers information about registering as a carer with your GP, what you are entitled to as a carer and a range of support and resources.
Carers – ICS (surreyheartlands.org)
Help with understanding healthcare
Translated materials and translation services
Our Help with understanding healthcare page provides details of information available in various languages.
Translation services: If you require a translator for a hospital appointment, this can be arranged by contacting the hospitals Patient Advice and Liaison Team.
- Royal Surrey County Hospital: PALS – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- East Surrey Hospital: PALS – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals: PALS – Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Frimley Park Hospital: PALS – NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust
- Epsom and St Helier Hospitals: PALS – Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
NHS 111: When calling NHS 111 you can request an interpreter. To request an interpreter, follow these steps:
- Dial 111 and press 9 on your phone to continue.
- You will hear an automated answer, wait until it finishes and wait for a person to answer your call.
- When they answer say in English “I speak (Your first language). I need an interpreter. My telephone number is (Give them your telephone number).
- Stay on the line and wait for an interpreter to join the call.
Information about the NHS’s responsibility to provide a translator: Does the NHS have to provide an interpreter? | Healthwatch
Information for people with learning disabilities or neurodiversity
Learning disability and autism hub: Services and useful links from the Surrey Partnership Boards
Services and useful links from the Surrey Partnership Boards – Surrey County Council
Annual health checks, Hospital stays and physical and mental wellbeing: Easy Read information
Health: Surrey Partnership Boards – Surrey County Council
Feedback and complaints
You can provide feedback about health and care services to us – you can either complete our online feedback form or contact our Helpdesk.
You can also contact the Patient Advice and Liaison services (PALS) if you have an enquiry, feedback or compliant about the care you received at the following:
Patient Advice and Liaison Services in Surrey
- Royal Surrey County Hospital: PALS – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- East Surrey Hospital: PALS – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals: PALS – Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Frimley Park Hospital: PALS – NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust
- Epsom and St Helier Hospital: PALS – Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- SECAmb (Southeast Coast Ambulance Service: PALS – NHS Southeast Coast Ambulance Service
- Surrey and Borders Partnership: PALS – Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Adult social care
The Surrey County Council website has information if you need to complain about social care.
Adult Social Care – complaints – Surrey County Council
You can also find some useful information on the Local government and social care ombudsman website
How to Complain – Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
If you need help to make a complaint (Advocacy services)
Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service: Our Independent Health Complaints Advocacy service is run in partnership with Surrey Independent Living Charity. It provides free, confidential, and independent support to make a formal complaint about an NHS service.
How to make a complaint (Advocacy) – Healthwatch Surrey
POhWER: Provide advocacy services for those who have capacity to make decisions about their own care.
Matrix: Matrix provide non instructed advocacy in Surrey for those who do not have capacity to make decisions about their own care.
Refer a Client in Surrey | Matrix SDT
Reconstruct: Reconstruct offers advocacy for children and young people in care and care leavers to support getting their voices heard.
Reconstruct Surrey Partner Portal
Directories for Surrey residents
Healthy Surrey: Information about self-care and signposting to local health and care services.
Surrey Information Point: A directory of services of health and social care services in Surrey.
Home | Surrey Information Point
Surrey local offer: A website for children, young people with additional needs offering information and details of support services available.
