Health centre, urgent care centre or emergency department – what is the difference?
When you need healthcare, it is not always clear which type of service is suitable. Health centres, urgent care centres and emergency departments have different roles. omkring.nu can help you find mapped healthcare options nearby, but it does not provide medical assessment.
Find care near you →Health centre
The health centre is normally part of primary care and is used for many problems that need medical assessment but not emergency hospital care.
Opening hours, contact routes and the possibility of receiving patients may vary between clinics.
When using local search, compare the distance, type of service and the current information available for the place.
Urgent care centre
Urgent care centres are intended for problems that are more pressing than those which can normally wait for a routine health-centre appointment, but their role may differ from a hospital's full emergency department.
The patients and conditions handled by a particular service can vary.
Always check the current information for the service before travelling.
Emergency department
Hospital emergency wards are intended for emergency conditions that require the hospital's resources.
In life-threatening or very serious situations, omkring.nu should not be used to determine where to go.
Call 112 in the event of an acute life-threatening situation.
Distance is not the same as the right level of care
The nearest healthcare service is not automatically the most appropriate one.
Take into account the type of reception, up-to-date information, opening hours and official care recommendations.
Omkring.nu helps to find and compare places but does not diagnose and does not replace medical advice.
Questions and answers
Can omkring.nu decide which care I need?
No. The service shows local information and places, not medical diagnoses or individual care advice.
What do I do in a life-threatening condition?
Call 112.
Is the nearest reception always the right choice?
No. The right level of care depends on the situation and the service's remit.