# When to seek urgent help with gallbladder cancer (NHS 111 and 999)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/urgent-help-gallbladder-cancer/  
OnCo record `urgent-help-gallbladder-cancer` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Call 999 for signs of sepsis or heavy bleeding; ring the hospital's 24-hour line or NHS 111 the same day for a temperature or shivering with a stent, for new or returning jaundice, for pain the painkillers do not control, or for being sick for more than two days.

## Summary

The NHS wording, situation by situation. Sepsis (999 or A&E): an adult who "is breathing very fast", "is confused, has slurred speech, or is not making sense", "has blue, pale or blotchy skin", "has a very high or very low temperature, feels hot or cold to the touch, or is shivery", "has a rash that does not fade when you press it" or "has symptoms you're worried might be sepsis"; people having chemotherapy are at higher risk. Bleeding (999 or A&E): vomiting blood and feeling "generally unwell", "confused", "faint or dizzy", with "rapid or shallow breathing", "cold, clammy, pale skin", "tummy pain" or "black poo"; if the vomiting of blood has stopped and there are no other symptoms, "ask for an urgent GP appointment, call 111 or get help from 111 online". Jaundice (urgent GP or 111): "your skin or the white part of your eyes look yellow". Being sick for more than 2 days (urgent GP or 111), from the NHS gallbladder cancer page. Infection with a stent: Cancer Research UK says "contact your doctor straight away if you have signs of infection such as a high temperature or shivering".

The NHS says 999 "is for life-threatening emergencies" and to "get help from NHS 111 if you're not sure if you need to call 999". For anyone on chemotherapy or immunotherapy the hospital's 24-hour oncology line is the first call for a temperature of 38 C or higher; the site's red cards quote the thresholds from the labels and NICE. This is orientation from public patient pages, not advice for your case: your own team's instructions and 24-hour number come first.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-24

## Sources

- NHS: sepsis: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/
- NHS: vomiting blood: https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/vomiting-blood/
- NHS: jaundice: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jaundice/
- NHS: gallbladder cancer, symptoms: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallbladder-cancer/symptoms/
- Cancer Research UK: biliary stents: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bile-duct-cancer/treatment/stents
- NHS: when to use 111: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/
- NHS: when to call 999: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-call-999/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Gallbladder cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gallbladder/)
- terms: [Biliary stent problems: blockage and infection](https://onco.cc/terms/biliary-stent-problems/), [Carers: what you can do and UK carer support](https://onco.cc/terms/carers-gallbladder-cancer-uk/), [Cholangitis: infection of a blocked bile duct](https://onco.cc/terms/acute-cholangitis/), [Obstructive jaundice and biliary obstruction](https://onco.cc/terms/obstructive-jaundice/), [Pain with gallbladder and bile duct cancer](https://onco.cc/terms/pain-with-biliary-cancer/)

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