Need help fast in Rutland?
The NHS is making it easier for you to get help when you need it quickly in Rutland, for situations when it isn’t life threatening, with two simple steps.
Learn more about the two steps, the services you will benefit from by following them in Rutland, and other local services – including information about Rutland’s new Minor Illness and Injury Service (open from 1 April 2026).
What's on this page
Step 1: Try self care first
If your problem is minor and you haven’t been able to treat it yourself at home, try:
These services are quick, easy, and often all you need.
Step 2: GP practice or NHS 111
If it’s more serious or Step 1 didn’t work:
They’ll help book the right appointment for you.
If you need to be seen on the same day
If you need to be seen on the same day, your GP practice or NHS 111 will arrange an appointment for you in one of four places, if you live in Rutland:
- Your own GP practice
- A pharmacy (Pharmacy First)
- Rutland Minor Illness and Injury Service (including evenings, weekends and bank holidays).
- At GP practice or health centre in Leicestershire
Our aim is for general practice and NHS 111 to be the gateway for the right care. This will allow us to understand the symptoms of every patient so the right appointment is booked. This reduces the need to travel to walk-in services that might not be suitable or have long waiting times.
Pharmacy First
Your GP practice may arrange an appointment for you at a pharmacy under the Pharmacy First scheme. You can also go into a pharmacy and ask for an appointment yourself. Under the Pharmacy First scheme, your local pharmacist can now offer treatment and provide prescription medicines for seven conditions, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. This is known as Pharmacy First.
The seven conditions are:
- Sinusitis (for those aged 12 years and over)
- Sore throat (for those aged 5 years and over)
- Earache (for those aged between 1 and 17 years old)
- Infected insect bite (for those aged 1 year and over)
- Impetigo (for those aged 1 year and over)
- Shingles (for those aged over 18 years old
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) (for women aged 16-64)
Rutland Minor Ilness and Injury Service
If you contact your GP practice later in the day, or NHS 111 during evenings weekends and bank holidays an appointment may be booked for you at Rutland’s new Minor Illness and Minor Injury Service, instead of at your own GP practice:
- Open 1pm to 9pm, seven days a week
- Address: Rutland Memorial Hospital, Cold Overton Road, Oakham LE15 6NT.
- This is largely an appointment-based service. You can also walk into the service, but you will be offered an appointment later in the day.
- They will be able to see your GP health record so will be able to give advice based on your full medical information.
A GP practice or health centre in Leicestershire
You may be offered an appointment at one of six GP practice or health centre locations in Leicestershire on weekdays and eight locations at weekends.
- Monday to Friday: 6.30pm to 8pm
- Saturdays: 9am to 5pm
- Sundays and bank holidays: 10am to 2pm.
Walk-in services in Rutland
You can use some local services on a walk-in basis, but you are advised to use your GP practice or NHS 111, before setting out, to make sure it is the right place for you to go.
Urgent treatment centres
Minor injury units
X-rays
- Rutland Minor Illness and Minor Injury Service (From 1 April 2026): X-rays available Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am to 7pm.
- Loughborough Urgent Treatment Centre: X-rays available 8:30am to 5pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm weekends.Â
- Melton Hospital (GP referral needed). X-rays available Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm.
- Market Harborough Minor Injury Unit: X-rays available weekdays 9am to 4:30pm (excluding bank holidays).Â
- Emergency Department, Leicester Royal Infirmary: X-rays available 24/7.
- Emergency Department, Kettering General Hospital: X-rays available 24/7.
- Emergency Department, Peterborough City Hospital: X-rays available 24/7.
Mental health
There are neighbourhood mental health cafés spread around Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They are run by trained and supportive
staff, who are there to listen and provide practical support when you need it most.
If you are struggling with your mental health, they can help you make plans to enable you to feel safer and more in control, and explain who to turn to for help in your local community.
You can see the full list of locations and get the latest information at:
www.leicspart.nhs.uk/service/neighbourhood-mh-cafesÂ
In a mental health crisis, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. This service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In a life-threatening emergency
You should only use 999* or go to the emergency department if you think you have a life or limb-threatening emergency. If you go to the
emergency department and it isn’t the right place for you, you may be asked to use another service instead. If it isn’t life threatening, you are advised to use your GP practice or NHS 111 instead.
The nearest emergency departments to Rutland are:
*If you have hearing loss, are deaf or have difficulty communicating
- If you have hearing loss, are deaf or have difficulties communicating you can also access NHS 111 by textphone on 18001 111 and British Sign Language (BSL) users can use the NHS 111 BSL interpreter service. Find out more about using NHS 111 if you have a hearing problem.
- You can use the EmergencySMS service to send an SMS text message to the UK 999 service where it will be passed to the ambulance service. You will need to register your mobile phone before using the service.
Brochures and guides
- Need help fast in Rutland online guide
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