NHS 111 service

NHS 111 is a new service being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services. If you live in Luton, County Durham and Darlington, Lincolnshire, Nottingham City, the Isle of Wight, parts of Derbyshire (the Bakewell, Bolsover, Chesterfield and Matlock areas) and Lancashire (excluding West Lancashire) you can now call 111 when you need medical help fast, but it isn’t a 999 emergency.

NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help – wherever you are, and whatever the time.

You can call NHS 111 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and all calls from landlines and mobiles are free.

When to use it?

You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a life-threatening situation.

You should call 111 if:

you need medical help fast, but it's not a 999 emergency
you think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service
you don't know who to call, or you don't have a GP to call, or
you require health information or reassurance about what to do next

For less urgent health needs you should still contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.

For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.

How does it work?

The service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses, who will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, give you the healthcare advice you need and direct you to the right local service as quickly as possible. This can include an out-of-hours doctor, walk-in centre or urgent care centre, community nurses, emergency dentist or late-opening chemist.

When you call 111, you will be assessed straight away. In an emergency, an ambulance will be sent immediately without the need for any further assessment. For any other health problems, the NHS 111 call advisers will be able to direct you to the service that is best able to meet your needs. If a health professional has given you a specific telephone number to call when you are concerned about your condition, please continue to use that number.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free.

Comments

7 Comments about ‘NHS 111 service’

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Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

Emm2904 said on 05 February 2012

That was quite impressive. I've just finished talking to the 111 operator. After a very thorough and comprehensive interview, I was given a huge amount of advice - mainly to do with what further symptoms to look out for and what action to take if such symptoms occur and advised to contact my surgery to get an emergency appointment within 24 hours.

I can see that this service, if maintained at a high level, Nationally, could be an invaluable addition to the NHS and should help ease the congestion at A&E departments and the demands on emergency services, such as on-call GP's and the Ambulance service. It beggars the question, "Why wasn't this done before?"

User23096 said on 04 February 2012

I recently used 111 on the Isle of Wight amd was very impressed with the speed of response and the kind and helpful profesionalism of the duty doctor

tireecoll said on 29 January 2012

My expereience on the Isle of Wight was not good.

I rang 111 to tell them I had trouble passing water. I was given a GP appointment at 730PM and wasn't seen until 940PM. The GP told me I had been incorrectly referred to them as given I had urine retention a catheter was needed and that was the job of A and E. I went to the back of the queue and had to wait in considerable discomfort until after midnight before I wa seen. As the clock for both the GP and A and E didn't start until I was referred to each one they could both claim to have met 4 hour waiting time target eeven though I was there for over 6 hours 5 of which were waiting for something to happen. Surely if the 111 staff are medically trained they would know a urinary problem would need a catheter and wshould refer me straight to A and E. By the way I have no complaints about the staff who came into contact with me at the Hospital.

JanetWhit said on 29 January 2012

I contacted the 111 service last night as I wasn't well at all, and from the lady who answered the telephone within a minute to the booking agent who got me into see an emergency GP within 2 hours and diagnosed a bi-lateral kidney infection, they were as far as I'm concerned brilliant!!

zenthra said on 04 December 2011

I rang 111 one weekend as had a severe throat infection which had been sore for days and had suddenly got worse so i couldnt swollow. the call was answered in minutes and i was given an assessment and then referred to another person where i was booked in for an appointment in one hrs time at my local nhs drop in centre at the hospital. when i got there i was seen as soon as i arrived. i think this is an excellent service and will take the burden of non emergency calls from the 999 operators. it is good to know if you a medical emergency that is not life threating there is a number to call that can give you instant help!

malde said on 31 October 2011

This is just typical!
National announcements are made before local trials have been completed!

santaclause said on 15 September 2011

i needed help today,but having tried the 111 number for 35 mins, i then tried the doctor's house then my surgery to get the 111 number to phone but still no answer from this,i even tried a&e as a last resort and was told to take pain killers or go to doctors,all i wanted was a bit of advice i now need to go to work and have had no help from any one,l had the sense to take pain killers myself,hope this new service gets better.