Department Of Health
Calling for assistance
Calls made using 999 or 112 are identified and prioritised by the communications providers and forwarded to, and then answered by, call handling agents in one of 7 call-handling centres. The call-handling centres are owned by BT Plc, who operate the service on behalf of all the communications providers (mobile, fixed line and broadband). An agent at one of the BT Plc call-handling centres responds with emergency, which service?. The geographic location of the caller, which is normally automatically available, enables the call to be transferred to the relevant geographically located emergency service control room.
Ofcom, the independent communications regulator, oversees regulation of the telecommunications aspects of the 999-112 service through the General Conditions of Entitlement.
The statistics - 2021
35 million 999/112 calls a year, of which:
74% from mobile
26% from landline
28,000 eCalls (included in mobile %)
| Service | Percentage of calls |
|---|---|
| Police | 44% |
| Ambulance | 53% |
| Fire | 3% |
| Coastguard | <1% |
7 BT call centres.
144 local emergency services control rooms.
The 999-112 Liaison Committee
Technical and operational oversight of the Service is provided by the 999-112 Liaison Committee, hosted by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT), previously Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS). The terms of reference of the Committee can be found here below.
The Committee represents all organisations that have a role to play in delivering and managing the 999-112 service, these include: The Home Office, Department for Health & Social Care, the emergency services, Ofcom as the telecommunications regulatory body and the fixed and mobile communications providers.
The Committee also oversees sub-groups responsible for specific areas such as access to the service by vulnerable members of society, such as those with hearing impairments and the role played by emergency calls activated by smartphones. The Committee also has responsibility for the Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS) between communications providers and the emergency services. This document outlines the key roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in the conveyance of emergency calls from caller to the relevant emergency service.
Strategic leadership
The Liaison Committee is overseen by the 999-112 Strategic Leadership Group which reports to ministers. This Group considers strategic, policy-related issues that affect the 999 and 112 service that fall outside the scope of the operationally-focused Liaison Committee. This Group focuses particularly on issues that cut across all the emergency services in the UK. The terms of reference of the Group can be found below.
The telecommunications ecosystem is evolving rapidly. Technological advances have had a considerable effect on societys communication preferences. The Strategic Leadership Group is closely involved with all stakeholders to ensure that the 999-112 service remains fit for purpose.
Who to contact for more information
Enquiries regarding Police and Fire - please contact the Home Office:public.enquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk
Enquiries regarding Ambulance - please contact the Department of Health & Social Care: dhsc.publicenquiries@dhsc.gov.uk
Enquiries regarding Maritime & Coastguard Agency - please contact:infoline@mcga.gov.uk
Enquiries regarding 999/112 connections or BT Call Handler queries - please contact the Department for Culture, Media & Sport:enquiries@dcms.gov.uk
Last updated 29 June 2023 +show all updates
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Update to number of call-handling centres and DHSC contact information, and correction to year of reported statistics.
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Updated stats for 2022.
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Updated contact emails.
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First published.