I work for 111

[Randomeggs56]

As a call handler not a health care professional. Have been there about 18 months, ask me anything

[turquoise88]

Have you every internally/externally panicked when you know someone is seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention?

[BreathingDeep]

I've called 111 umpteen times for my children over the years and always found them to be so patient and helpful. In fact, one of them helped to save my daughter's life - it turned out she had sepsis and it was the 111 caller who sent the ambulance.

Can I ask, are there calls that stay with you? Are you able to follow up to find out what happened to the patient?

[Malariahilaria]

Another huge thank you from our family. Had to call several times and always had lovely supportive people get me the right help and calm me down when it was a and e that was needed. I think it's a great interim service that hopefully limits unnecessary calls to 999.

[Randomeggs56]

@Peanut82

How did you get into it? And can you choose your own shifts?

I just applied when I saw the job advertised, it was local to me and I had transferable skills which were a good fit, didn't expect to enjoy the job as much as I do.
You can't choose exactly, you can ask for preferences and your availability is discussed at interview. I've never had a problem altering shifts when I have needed to.

[Livebythecoast]

I work in a GP surgery and we have 5 slots a day for 111 calls to be transferred to our GP clinics. So 111 have access to our diary and book the slots then we pass it to a clinician. However, we get lots of patients ringing us as they haven't had their call 'within the hour like 111 said '. Unfortunately we don't work like that as we have AM and PM clinics and that's about as accurate as it gets! Are you told to tell the patients this ? Btw, I think you do a great job and it must be relentless for you

[Randomeggs56]

@turquoise88

Have you every internally/externally panicked when you know someone is seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention?

Internally, yes, it's important to stay calm when it's an emergency situation and remain focused on the caller, this is hard at times and also another good reason we have clinicians there to take over if needed. Externally I've always managed to wait until a call is safely ended before needing a few minutes, I've cried after calls I've taken and that's okay, it can be very scary.

[Randomeggs56]

@BreathingDeep

I've called 111 umpteen times for my children over the years and always found them to be so patient and helpful. In fact, one of them helped to save my daughter's life - it turned out she had sepsis and it was the 111 caller who sent the ambulance.

Can I ask, are there calls that stay with you? Are you able to follow up to find out what happened to the patient?

Yes absolutely they stay with me, I wish I could follow up on some of the calls, unfortunately thats not something we are able to do. I hope they all turn out okay. Sometimes a patient will call us back and ask for thanks or a message to be passed on and that's nice.

[Randomeggs56]

@Livebythecoast

I work in a GP surgery and we have 5 slots a day for 111 calls to be transferred to our GP clinics. So 111 have access to our diary and book the slots then we pass it to a clinician. However, we get lots of patients ringing us as they haven't had their call 'within the hour like 111 said '. Unfortunately we don't work like that as we have AM and PM clinics and that's about as accurate as it gets! Are you told to tell the patients this ? Btw, I think you do a great job and it must be relentless for you

I personally don't guarantee a time for gp telephone appointments, just that the call will come through that day. The only exception to this is if I've phoned the surgery myself and have been given specific information regarding a callback. This is what we were told to do during training as we have no control over your books and are juggling a million balls of your own!!

[Dogmatix34]

I have to agree, I have always found 111 to be excellent, really useful and knowledgeable advice. Thank you for the job you do.

[Livebythecoast]

@Randomeggs56 - Thank you for answering. Yes, I think the patients tell porkies on that one . I've even rang you and asked if you tell patients within the hour as it's just not possible at the surgery and 111 say they don't give a time, only the circumstances in which you describe.

[FrangipanFlower]

The 111 call operator who dealt with me when I had a two hour nosebleed at 36 weeks pregnant was phenomenal. There was blood everywhere and I was really panicking that something terrible was happening, she stayed on the phone to me until the ambulance and my husband arrived home as I was alone and did her best to keep me calm. Honestly I think as a service they’ve really stepped up during the last two years.

[scaredsadandstuck]

Aww well done OP - you do a really important job . I think111 gets a lot of uncalled for flack. I've always had a positive experience with the 111 service in my area. I once called as an anxious first time mum when my DS face planted (from sitting ) on to the wooden edge of his high chair base. The call handler was lovely.

I work in the NHS and part of my job is writing information for people about what services to use in which situations, so 111 comes up a lot!! I don't think people always understand what it's for or what it can do.

Do you feel you often have to call ambulances for people unnecessarily? I have heard people complain that 111 will send an ambulance 'just in case' (I understand it's because of the algorithm).

[pudseypie]

I agree it has come a long way. I phoned when DS was a baby about 9 years ago and unwell and was just told to cuddle him... I took him to hospital where he was admitted with a serious bowel obstruction.
However, more recently we phoned when DH had 'heartburn' - the handler spotted it was a heart attack and sent an ambulance. Without that amazing handler he may not have survived.

[LefttoherownDevizes]

How has Covid impacted you and your role? Personally it's been a Godsend as DD and I often require emergency meds, Covid changes have meant we can do the whole lot over the phone and just pick the meds up. Absolutely made me value 111 more

[worriedatthemoment]

So under £20000 not much more than minimum wage , should be paid more

[Randomeggs56]

@scaredsadandstuck

Aww well done OP - you do a really important job . I think111 gets a lot of uncalled for flack. I've always had a positive experience with the 111 service in my area. I once called as an anxious first time mum when my DS face planted (from sitting ) on to the wooden edge of his high chair base. The call handler was lovely.

I work in the NHS and part of my job is writing information for people about what services to use in which situations, so 111 comes up a lot!! I don't think people always understand what it's for or what it can do.

Do you feel you often have to call ambulances for people unnecessarily? I have heard people complain that 111 will send an ambulance 'just in case' (I understand it's because of the algorithm).

Yes I do feel some ambulances are unnecessary but we are guided to follow the process, similarly there are plenty of callers who have called so often they know the responses needed to generate an ambulance and no amount of gentle questioning can deter this, again following the process.
There is a high proportion of callers who refuse ambulances also, no matter how much it's needed!

[Randomeggs56]

@LefttoherownDevizes

How has Covid impacted you and your role? Personally it's been a Godsend as DD and I often require emergency meds, Covid changes have meant we can do the whole lot over the phone and just pick the meds up. Absolutely made me value 111 more

It hasn't really, our work never stopped, the way we work changed with regards to social distancing in the office, more cleaning, masks etc but pretty much business as usual. There were obvious changes to our system to incorporate covid but the system is always updating anyway so this was not a massive change.
Did get a lot of overtime though which was appreciated as my husbands job was massively impacted by covid.

[waterlego]

Thank you for the important work you do

I think we’ve phoned 111 three times. Once for OH having chest pains and shortness of breath (I suggested 999 but he didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’). The other two were for DD as a baby/toddler when she 1) managed to eat some of her own poo and 2) found some Calpol sachets at Grandma’s and consumed a fair few of them

In all cases, the call handlers and clinicians were brilliant.

My question is: what do you love about the job? (Sorry if someone has already asked)

[Randomeggs56]

Really nice to see all these positive outcomes, though for them not to have been needed would have been better!! Thank you for being so nice, I was expecting the thread to be a little different if I'm honest.

[Randomeggs56]

@worriedatthemoment

So under £20000 not much more than minimum wage , should be paid more

Do not disagree with this!!

[rubydoobydoo]

What are the shift patterns like?

(Police call handler here, wondering how it compares with ours, which is currently very loosely based around 6 on 4 off, covering 24 hours)

I've always found 111 to be very helpful too when I've had reason to call.

[EatSleepRantRepeat]

Have the recent GP closures/ working from home made your job harder? I once had a very small cut on my finger that wouldnt stop bleeding, but was directed to A&E by 111 because there was literally nowhere else available to deal with it. The GPs don't offer in person appointments in my area any more, so I ended up going to a private pharmacist instead to get it steri-stripped together.

[Randomeggs56]

@waterlego

Thank you for the important work you do

I think we’ve phoned 111 three times. Once for OH having chest pains and shortness of breath (I suggested 999 but he didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’). The other two were for DD as a baby/toddler when she 1) managed to eat some of her own poo and 2) found some Calpol sachets at Grandma’s and consumed a fair few of them

In all cases, the call handlers and clinicians were brilliant.

My question is: what do you love about the job? (Sorry if someone has already asked)

Kids!!! You'd be surprised how many calls we get where the kids have eaten sudocrem, these things happen!

Thats a good one, I love the variety, you never know what you're going to get on a call and it can be challenging. I also learn a lot doing the job which I enjoy.

[Randomeggs56]

I hope I haven't missed any questions, im trying to keep up on my phone!!

[Purplewithred]

A friend who worked for them for a short while said "elements of the working environment were really, really horrible, most Team Leaders were useless at the job and it was a complete numbers factory in terms of call handling targets with QA/audit used as a stick to beat you with.. I have never seen bright, positive, enthusiastic adults turned into anxious, dispirited workers so quickly! Churn rate is over 50% within first 12 months and band 3 pay doesnt help". How does your experience compare to this?