Emergency services in London

Tools:

For general emergency, call

999 (free call from any phone including pay phones)
112 is the emergency number for mainland Europe and can also be used in the UK.

A non-emergency number is 101. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Direct-Gov offers a guide to emergency numbers.

Overnight pharmacies:

  • Bliss Chemist: 9am – 12pm every day 5-6 Marble Arch, London W1 tel: (0) 20 77 23 61 16
  • Marble Arch: Bus: N3, N6, N8, N12, N16, N18, N23, N89, N99 33, Sloane Square, London SW1 tel: (0) 20 77 30 10 23
  • Sloane Square: 149 Edgware Road, London W2 tel: (0) 20 77 23 23 36 Edgware Road
  • Boots: Open from 9am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 5pm to 10pm on Sunday 75 Queensway, London W2 tel: (0) 20 72 29 92 66 Bayswater or Queensway
  • I Warman Freed: Open from 8.30am to 12pm every day 45 Golders Green Road, London NW11 tel: (0) 20 84 55 43 51

Safety

London and the UK in general are safe places to visit and live. There are, as any big city, basic precautions to provide for your safety.

    Tips:
  • Avoid walking alone at night. Keep to well-lit main roads
  • Be alert of what's going on around you. Avoid wearing headphones or something that will distract you.
  • In the UK, cars drive on the left. Take note of the signs indicating "look right" or "look left" to spot any oncoming traffic
  • Hold onto your belongings.
  • Do not accept drinks from strangers and avoid leaving your drink unattended

The Metropolitan Police offer resources for tourists in a variety of languages.

Note that sporting events, particularly football, can inspire drunken violence. The subway can be extremely crowded and create uncomfortable situations. However, reasonable behavior should prevent any issues.

Natural Precautions

Tap water in England is safe to drink, if sometimes heavily chlorinated, and the overall quality of drinking water in the Thames region is excellent. Water in London, which has a water table of clay, is hard (and creates scale with utility appliances).

If venturing out into the country, take along:

  • Compass
  • Detailed maps
  • Waterproof clothing
  • Torch (flashlight)
  • Adequate shoe ware
  • Charged mobile phone (ANY phone is capable of making a 999 or 112 emergency call if there is a signal available)

The weather can change swiftly and fog can set in suddenly. Advice is available from the Ramblers.

Update 10/05/2012

Related articles:

Tools:

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Addthis

Recommended Partners

Keep more of your money when transferring funds overseas!

Fexco_logo

If you want to move money abroad, from the United Kingdom or to the United Kingdom for example, Fexco provides efficient and secure global bank to bank transfers and bespoke payment solutions for both business and personal clients.

Why Fexco

Fexco provides a secure international money transfer service online or by telephone with bank beating fx rates and low fees. Specialises in high-value transfers.

Faster, cheaper, safer International money transfers.
Dedicated fx dealer who will oversee your transfer from start to finish
Make payments from anywhere with our secure online platform, PayDirect.
If you prefer the personal touch, then our payments team can be contacted by phone.

Main characteristics

Fexco will help you to keep your overseas money transfer costs to a minimum.

Margin 0.6%
Regulator FCA
Fee £10 < £5K or Free > £5k
Mini £1K
Ccy All (130 currencies, incl ‘exotics’)
Services Repatriation of funds, Property, Regular payments, High Value payments, spot, online, telephone.

Get an online quote today

When you are ready to make your transfer, John and his team will be available to help you with better rates and an unrivalled service to make sure your funds are delivered securely and speedily.



Do you have comments or personal information to communicate about this article? Add your comment.


Find more definitions and general answers on expatriation issues in the Expat FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

Go to the Forum to talk more about emergency services in London, public services.