Update (Jan 2021): Please review this article on our knowledge base which is more up to date
The police and NHS have released new numbers for people to dial when they need help fast but in a non-emergency situation. The lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need to get in touch with the police the number to dial is 101 and the number for the NHS is 111. It is possible to call these numbers from your Sipcentric virtual phone system, by simply prefixing the number with 44. So, for 101 non-emergency police it’s 44*101. For NHS (111) it’s 44*111.
Why have they been introduced?
The numbers have been introduced to improve access to the police and NHS, ease pressure on 999 and efficiently and effectively tackle crime and disorder.
What situations should I use them in?
The number 101 should be called to report crimes to the police that have already occurred, such as theft, damage or a minor traffic accident.
The number 111 should be called if you need medical help fast but it’s not an emergency, you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service or you need health information or reassurance about what to do next.
Why VoIP providers don’t route to them?
VoIP providers may or may not route to the numbers 101 and 111 as they are relatively new numbers and they have therefore not been reserved. Providers such as ourselves use the 3 digit code for extensions on our systems, therefore the prefix 44 will be required to make the call.
In an event of an emergency however you can dial 999/112 without the use of a prefix as they are reserved numbers on the system.
It is important to dial the correct number as you could be putting lives at risk by dialling 999 and as a result delaying the emergency services when someone could really need them.
For more information on the non-emergency numbers visit the following relevant pages 101 number and 111 number. Please contact your VoIP provider if you are not sure how to call 101 and 111 numbers from your current service.
