National telephone information service

Individual advice on more serious or complex cases is available via the NPIS 24-hour telephone service.

The NPIS national telephone support service consists of a network of Specialists in Poisons Information based at four provider Units. Supporting them is a team of on-call consultant clinical toxicologists, attached to major teaching hospitals, with first-hand experience of the management of poison cases.

NHS enquirers to the national telephone support service can always gain access to the service, no matter where or when they call, by using a single national telephone number. An automatic call-routing system intelligently manages incoming phone calls, ensuring that every enquiry is directed to the right location for a prompt and accurate response.

During the day, each Unit handles enquiries from a designated geographical area. If all lines to a particular Unit are busy, the call is automatically transferred to a Unit that is available to take the call.

The service is fully staffed during extended working hours (Monday to Friday, 08.00 to 18.00 hours), with one Unit open overnight.

In exceptional circumstances, an emergency service comes into effect, diverting calls to authorized mobile phones. At all times, the overriding aim is to ensure the reliability and continuity of the service.