Being vile to 111

This. It’s a crap service, Unfit for purpose.🤷‍♀️. But, it’s pointless getting abusive with the call handlers. The whole NHS is broken.🤬

I agree with you Op, I called 111 when I had a severe kidney infection that lead to me being hospitalised and needing two operations. I never ever considered speaking to the person on the phone in even so much as a frosty tone. I do not understand why people think that's acceptable, it's vile. Also be careful in your role, your subconscious doesn't know the difference between being spoken to like shit by strangers on the phone all day for a job and just in general- it soaks it all up and it'll take its toll. Is there any progression in it to get you off the phones? I answered 999 calls and dispatched for the police when I left school- generally people were nicer and we had a lot of former 111 staff. Maybe consider something else? It's not fair to have to sit thorough that level of abuse daily because people want someone to take our their frustrations on. I don't care how sick you are, manners cost nothing.

I've never been rude but i can see why and how frustrations boil over in stressful situations

It's the same experience 'on the road' paramedics and ambulance techs are subject to all kinds of abuse up to and including physical and sexual assault

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51ylr146pjo

People are stressed and frightened and the questions are moronic frankly. Sorry to say that. I have never been rude to someone on 111 though, it's no excuse.

From experience, it's a service that's not fit for purpose. The call handler will go through their script, then Google the symptoms, and finally just refer you to A and E at your local hospital regardless whether you actually need to go there or not.

What I find astounding is the number of times I have been apologised to for the wait, and also thanked for being so patient.

This makes me think a couple of things.
Are there waits that are too long, too often. This is going to wind up stressed people. If that's ending up being used as part of a standard script there's either a problem with the service or they are saying it robotically. That may seem like a minor irritation but what it would say to me is the handler isn't responding to me as an individual. Which is all very well in a shop but a problem with medical stuff where proper communication is important. Also in general it devalues the apology. I worked in retail and I definitely used to apologise for a long wait, but only occasionally and only when our queues were out of the ordinary long.

From 10 years of being a call handler for emergency services probably

Being called a cunt/stupid bitch/useless
Being yelled at just send a fucking ambulance when they haven't even given you the address

Refusing to tell you where they are
Refusing to answer any questions
Saying yes of course they're fucking breathing you idiot when asked
Threatening to stab/rape you
Taking pleasure in telling you stuff they have done like child abuse/rape

It's unacceptable and unfortunate that you've had that experience. That said, when you are in a lot of pain, it can be difficult to communicate in a way that you are used to.

When I was in labour I asked my DH to call triage to let them know my waters had gone and I was coming in (was having 3 contractions in 10 mins and pain was really ramping up, I didn't feel able to talk through them anymore).

Lady on the phone insisted that she spoke to me and while I was having contractions I would either stop talking, or talk in a kind of strained manner. She kept asking me "have I upset you? You don't sound happy. Have I said something wrong?" I was in disbelief to be honest and just said "no nothing at all it's just I'm in labour and in a lot of pain!"

When the call ended I was left feeling guilty like I had made this woman feel she'd upset me. She hadn't. I just didn't feel able to talk.

And I am someone whose job is client facing. I too get rude people. Mostly it's people who are frustrated with their situation. You need to learn how to deal with them and change your strategy accordingly. It's not personal. Sometimes they don't even realised they are being rude until I point it out to them and tell them that I am trying to help them and being rude to me won't help them in anyway. I also have to use a firm and assuring tone. They mostly change their demeanour after that.

Not to 111 but I have been rude to call center staff. Especially the ones that are outsourced abroad. I know they are trying to do their job but gosh most of the times they don't understand a single thing being said to them. it's like they have a script and anything outside the script breaks them and they start malfunctioning.

I hate to say this - but the few times I’ve called NHS 111 has been like speaking to a computer bot. Zero warmth or compassion.
I have tried 111 a few times but wouldn't bother again. It's awful to phone up asking for help only to be met with questions off a script and be told that they will call you back in a few hours.

People are cross because this sort of 'service' doesn't happen once - it happens all the time. No company seems to have sufficient levels of staff any more. Despite "our custom being important to them"

But what do ''people'' actually say on 111? What % of calls are ''vile''? How do you react to them?

I have to ring 111 every couple of weeks due to my job and honestly it's such a rubbish system. Even paramedics and hospitals say its rubbish.

I remember once ringing for someone who was very confused. (Diagnosed uti in the end). They were saying their leg hurt too. I was asked if the patient can stand up. Due to the confusion they weren't able to follow my instructions. I explained this. The call handler would not go to the next question without a definitive answer as to whether the patient could stand. I kept saying I don't know. They can't follow my instructions. So handler said so they can't stand then so it could be a stroke. I was 95% sure it wasn't a stroke so said so. I started to lose my temper. At the system not the call handler as I knew she couldn't go to next question without an answer. In the end I said no he can't stand. Ambulance came within 15 mins on a cat 2 call and the crew said they were told it was a suspected stroke.

The pleasures of dealing with the British public !! Some people are utterly ignorant and just plain nasty.

Others are frustrated, worried, tired, scared but of course they shouldn't take it out on you. Please keep doing your job, you are much needed.

I have worked for 111 as a call handler for a number of years and have never felt like it is “soul destroying” OP.

I have had the occasional caller get annoyed with me because of yes, the numerous questions we have to ask and I have just said, “I am sorry you are frustrated but you have rung me, this is the process so if you can answer the questions we can get you the best outcome quickly”.

I do admit, some callers are annoying. I’m not going to cite examples on a public forum though. I mainly just roll my eyes at them though rather than let them get to me though.

Feel free to PM me OP if you need support.

The system is broken and flawed and so if you’re part of the system then people will be angry at you. Often people are in pain, distressed and frustrated at their hour long wait for a phone call to be answered… and they want to tell their story in one and then get asked all the algorithm questions which they feel are pointless because they don’t understand how it works.

It is not right though and you should be trained on what to say and at how to get support to not take it to heart.

I must say as a nurse I honestly am spoken to so nicely by my patients and their families 99% of the time. The 1% tends to be frustration at “the nhs” rather than me personally and it can be horrible.

Pain. And fear of dying.

Often immense frustration at the lack of appointments for a GP appointment and being forced to go via 111 when all you want is to not feel awful.

Long wait time for phone answering adds to the stress, anxiety and general worry.

Actually ignore my last comments. I was replying as if it was a 999 call.

Usually people are highly stressed/anxious and worried when calling.

They don't understand why they have to answer so many questions and think the questions are delaying help.

Another POV @111hell

Recently, I was almost in tears when I called NHS 111 and could not believe the call handler responded with "I don't know why you're being so upset". I explained that I was upset as I live alone, with no family support and had been trying to get gp treatment for a week! When I was eventually put through to the duty doctor I was asked to come in immediately for meds and also given a prescription for a further 14 day supply. It was not an A&E immediately life threatening situation but more a potentially life changing disease, if not treated at that point.

I have no complaints about the only other time I called 111 so was shocked by this call handler's attitude.

I agree that we shouldn't be aggressive to call handlers.

This.

Frustration and panic can make monsters out of people. I'm not condoning treating people badly though.

Often, by the time they ring, people will have already explained themselves to one GP, sometimes more or been unable to get an appointment at all. And then a seemingly never ending list of questions is often the straw that breaks the camel's back. But they take their frustrations out on the wrong person. The call handler is in no way shape or form responsible for the problems within the NHS.

I think that if you work in the public sector people feel they have a perfect right to be abusive. I worked in the public sector all my adult life and honestly, I could write a book about the vile comments, the anger, the sheer nastiness of customers. They would often start before I had said anything. I've been told that lying to us was OK, that they could treat me like dirt because they paid my wages, ( I used to ask them where they worked, often they weren't), that I had to do as they said for the same reason. Some people are very entitled, common courtesy doesn't count. Sorry you have such awful treatment.

How awful for you OP. I'm not surprised as generally seems politeness and generally courtesy is rare these days. So many entitled and rude people around. Some PP here demonstrating that nicely.

Fwiw I've called 111 for myself and my DC numerous times and have always had a good service. Call handlers are not clinical and paid little over minimum wage, they are using a decision tree to triage you to the most appropriate service. Yes I'm unwell and distressed but that's on me, no point taking it out on the call handler.