Advice Line for health professionals
Telephone: 020 7383 7474
Please note: mobile charges may vary
The advice line is usually staffed by one Specialist Nurse Advisor.
Advice line opening hours:
Mornings
- Monday to Friday 09:00 - 11:00
Afternoons
- Monday 13:00 - 14:00
- Tuesday 13:00 - 15:30
- Wednesday 14:30 - 17:00
- Thursday 13:00 - 15:30
- Friday 13:00 - 14:00
Please ensure that you are familiar with the detailed information available on the country-specific information and the factsheets for special risk travellers on TravelHealthPro as caller questions can sometimes be answered by reading the information available on the website.
We are unable to provide clinical advice to members of the public.
Please contact your GP, pharmacist or travel health clinic for guidance at least 4 - 6 weeks ahead of travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. For other health enquiries call 111, free from any phone, or go to www.nhs.uk.
Information for health professionals calling the advice line
The advice line is for health professionals who have queries about
- travel scenarios that involve either complex itineraries.
- travellers with special health needs.
The advice line is usually staffed by one Specialist Nurse Advisor each session and does get very busy. However, many queries can be answered by information that is available online.
In order to make best use of the service there are several resources that health professionals can check prior to calling, on this website and on TravelHealthPro:
Additionally, it is anticipated that callers will already have accessed key resources such as an atlas, Immunisation against infectious disease (the Green Book) and the Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the United Kingdom in an attempt to find the answer to their query.
Callers are asked to have the following information available:
- Contact telephone number and postcode of practice/clinic/pharmacy
- Age; date of birth of babies
- Body weight of babies (for malaria prophylaxis related enquiries)
- Past/current medical history (including any relevant recent blood test results)
- Past/current medication
- The detailed itinerary of the traveller
- Date of departure & length of trip
- Reason for trip & planned activities whilst travelling
We are unable to answer travel health queries from the general public and non-clinical administrative members of staff.
Advice line disclaimer
The purpose of the NaTHNaC advice line is to provide guidance to healthcare professionals advising travellers with complex travel itineraries and/or special health needs.
Whilst NaTHNaC will use its clinical knowledge and expertise to advise on the most appropriate course of action, it is reliant on the information vicariously provided by healthcare professionals and, as such, is unable to review any records or consult with the traveller themself. NaTHNaC does not (and cannot) therefore accept any responsibility for clinical decisions made with regard to the administration of vaccines and prophylactics. Such decisions must be made by healthcare professionals in accordance with the individual circumstances and clinical condition of the traveller.
For the avoidance of doubt, the healthcare professional thus remains responsible for individual risk assessments relating to travel and for any clinical decisions made regarding the administration of vaccines, other prophylactics, or for information given regarding travel health.
Email enquiry service for health professionals and travellers
Travel vaccine certificates enquiries only
This service is for travel vaccine certificate enquiries (yellow fever, Hajj/Umrah or polio) only.
Please note we cannot answer itinerary (trip) specific or clinical queries with this service or our general email.
- Travellers should contact their GP, pharmacist or travel health clinic for guidance at least 4 - 6 weeks ahead of travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. For other health enquiries call 111, free from any phone, or go to www.nhs.uk.
- Health professionals should use the NaTHNaC health professional telephone advice line for clinical queries.
- NaTHNaC does not keep a central record of all yellow fever vaccines given to individuals. We are therefore unable to re-issue yellow fever certificates or provide information on previous vaccination dates/batch numbers. See further information about replacement certificates.
You can email the team here with travel vaccine certificate enquiries.
All enquiries about a serious suspected adverse event following yellow fever vaccine administration please report during office hours (Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30) via the NaTHNaC advice line or email: uclh.nathnac@nhs.net. Out of hours: inform UKHSA Duty Doctor within 24 hours (daylight hours), call 020 8200 4400 and email: uclh.nathnac@nhs.net.
We aim to reply to enquiries within 3 working days. Complex queries requiring senior medical input may take longer.
Each enquiry informs us of the challenges travellers experience. We use this to ensure the information we provide on TravelHealthPro is clear and collate anonymise data generated from this service for teaching and research purposes.
General and media enquiries
Email: uclh.nathnac@nhs.net
We aim to respond to general queries within 3 working days.
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3447 5943
The new operating hours will be Monday to Friday, from 11:00 to 15:00. The line will be closed on weekends and public holidays.
Postal address
National Travel Health Network and Centre
UCLH NHS Foundation Trust
3rd Floor Central
250 Euston Road
London
NW1 2PG
United Kingdom