# Ageing parent in the UK: Message in a Bottle, Lasting Power of Attorney and the information A&E needs

> UK checklist for families of ageing parents: how Lions Message in a Bottle works, the two Lasting Powers of Attorney, finding an NHS number, and A&E essentials.

Canonical: https://getparentfile.com/guides/uk-message-in-a-bottle-lpa-checklist  
Updated: 2026-10-25 · Publisher: ParentFile  
Organizational guidance for families. Not medical or legal advice.

## Short answer

Message in a Bottle is a free Lions Clubs scheme: you write medical details and contacts on a form, keep it in a labelled bottle in the fridge, and put green-cross stickers on the inside of the front door and on the fridge so paramedics know to look. Alongside it, make sure your parent's medication list is current, you know their NHS number and GP practice, and you know whether they've made and registered Lasting Powers of Attorney for health and welfare and for property and financial affairs.

## Message in a Bottle: how it works

Message in a Bottle is run by Lions Clubs British Isles and is free. Residents keep their personal and medical details in a recognisable plastic bottle **in the fridge**, and put two green-cross stickers in the home: one on the inside of the front door, and one on the fridge. That way emergency services know a bottle is there ([People First (Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster)](https://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/staying-safe/safety-in-the-home/message-in-a-bottle-scheme)).

**Where to get one:** ask at your parent's GP surgery or local pharmacy, or contact a local Lions Club. Many will post one out. Local councils often promote the scheme too.

**What to write on the form:**

- [ ] Name, date of birth, a recent photo
- [ ] **NHS number** and GP practice
- [ ] Allergies and reactions
- [ ] Current medicines, with strength and directions as on the label
- [ ] Medical conditions
- [ ] Emergency contacts, in order
- [ ] Where the Lasting Power of Attorney and any DNACPR or ReSPECT form are kept
- [ ] The date it was last checked

> This is organisational guidance for families, not medical or legal advice. Follow your local scheme's instructions, and ask a solicitor or Age UK about anything legal.

The weak spot is the same as with any paper form: it's filled in once and goes out of date. Put the date on it and review it after every hospital stay or change of medication. Our [free one-page ER sheet](https://getparentfile.com/free-er-sheet) prints on A4 and can sit in the bottle or on the fridge.

## Finding your parent's NHS number

The NHS number is a 10-digit number. According to the NHS, you can find it in the NHS App or an NHS account, on any letter from the NHS such as a prescription, test result or appointment letter, or by contacting the GP surgery. You don't need it to use NHS services, but having it on the sheet speeds things up ([NHS: find your NHS number](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/)).

## Lasting Power of Attorney (England and Wales)

There are two types of LPA, and your parent can make one or both while they still have mental capacity ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney)):

| | Health and welfare LPA | Property and financial affairs LPA |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Daily routine, medical care, moving into a care home, life-sustaining treatment | Bank accounts, bills, benefits and pensions, selling the home |
| When it can be used | Only once your parent can't make the decision themselves | As soon as it's registered (with your parent's permission) |

An LPA must be **registered with the Office of the Public Guardian** before it can be used. GOV.UK says registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes, and lists the registration fee (currently £92 unless a reduction or exemption applies). Check the current fee on GOV.UK before applying. LPAs apply in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.

**Not sure if your parent already has one?** You can ask the Office of the Public Guardian to search its register. GOV.UK describes this as a free service, and OPG aims to reply within 5 working days ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/find-someones-attorney-deputy-or-guardian)).

### LPA checklist for families

- [ ] Does a health and welfare LPA exist? Is it registered?
- [ ] Does a property and financial affairs LPA exist? Is it registered?
- [ ] Who are the attorneys, and do they know?
- [ ] Where are the originals (or the registered copies)?
- [ ] Does the GP surgery have a copy of the health and welfare LPA?
- [ ] Do the banks have a copy of the financial LPA?

Age UK has free, detailed guides on powers of attorney ([Age UK](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/legal-issues/power-of-attorney/)).

## Going to A&E: what to have ready

- [ ] The current medication list (or the Message in a Bottle form, or a photo of it)
- [ ] NHS number and GP practice
- [ ] Allergies
- [ ] A copy of the health and welfare LPA, if there is one, and any DNACPR or ReSPECT form
- [ ] Glasses, hearing aids, dentures, phone charger, a notepad

Our US-focused [what to bring to the ER](https://getparentfile.com/guides/what-to-bring-to-the-er) checklist covers the packing list in more detail. Most of it applies in the UK too.

## Leaving hospital

In England, NHS hospital trusts have a duty to involve unpaid carers in discharge planning as soon as feasible (with the patient's consent), and must check you're willing and able to provide care. Carers UK publishes a free coming-out-of-hospital checklist ([Carers UK](https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support/coming-out-of-hospital/coming-out-of-hospital-checklist/)). Before your parent leaves, ask what medicines were started, changed or stopped, and update the Message in a Bottle form the same day. See our [hospital discharge checklist](https://getparentfile.com/guides/hospital-discharge-checklist).

## Where ParentFile fits

ParentFile works in the UK. Sheets print on A4, and there are fields for the NHS number, GP practice, both Lasting Powers of Attorney and a Message in a Bottle note. It builds the medication list from photos of the boxes and labels, and siblings can open a view-only link without signing up. It organises information. It doesn't give medical or legal advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Message in a Bottle scheme?

A free Lions Clubs scheme in which a person's medical details and emergency contacts are kept in a labelled bottle in the fridge, with green-cross stickers on the inside of the front door and on the fridge so emergency services know to look for it.

### Where can I get a Message in a Bottle?

Ask at the GP surgery or a local pharmacy, or contact a local Lions Club, which can often post one. Some councils also distribute them.

### What are the two types of Lasting Power of Attorney?

Health and welfare (decisions about care and medical treatment, usable only when the person lacks capacity) and property and financial affairs (money and property, usable once registered with the person's permission). Both must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.

### How can I find my parent's NHS number?

It's in the NHS App or an NHS account, on NHS letters such as prescriptions or appointment letters, or the GP surgery can provide it.

### How do I check if my parent already has an LPA?

You can ask the Office of the Public Guardian to search its register. GOV.UK describes the search as free, with a reply usually within 5 working days.

## Sources

- [Message in a Bottle scheme](https://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/staying-safe/safety-in-the-home/message-in-a-bottle-scheme), People First (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea / Westminster City Council)
- [Lasting power of attorney: acting as an attorney / Make a lasting power of attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney), GOV.UK
- [Find out if someone has an attorney, deputy or guardian acting for them](https://www.gov.uk/find-someones-attorney-deputy-or-guardian), GOV.UK
- [Find your NHS number](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/), NHS
- [Coming out of hospital checklist](https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support/coming-out-of-hospital/coming-out-of-hospital-checklist/), Carers UK
- [Power of attorney](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/legal-issues/power-of-attorney/), Age UK