waiting 1 hour for 111 to answer

[LaBelleSauvage123]

I forgot to pick up my beta blockers this morning, have run out and our pharmacy shut at 3.30. I rang the nearest open pharmacy and they said I have to ring 111 to get them to refer me to them for emergency meds. I've now been hanging on the phone for an hour, just getting their 'high volume of calls' message. Is it worth hanging on? How long is the longest you've ever waited?

I’m still waiting for a call back after my 8 day baby had such horrendous screaming fit for hours in a Saturday night and I was beside myself (just before he was disagreeing with reflux and milk allergy) after calling 3 times over 3 hours and promising a call back we threw him in the car and took him to out of hours....he’s 6.5 months old now!!!!

Have you actually spoken to them or are you still waiting to speak to them?

111 can send a prescription request to a pharmacy for you to collect of it’s on repeat prescription. But I’m not sure if they’d be any late night pharmacies in your area. If not the out of hours gp can fax it somewhere available.

Is it something that you can wait to collect in the morning?

Hi all, sorry not to update sooner. They eventually answered after an hour and 5 mins and my prescription was immediately sent to a local pharmacy using something called Emergency Prescription Plus. The operator did say that I should call back if I had any problems! I told him I’d been on the phone for an hour and he said they were busier than he’d ever known - I’m wondering if people are calling about Coronavirus. Smileforthecamera it’s nothing compared to your story though!

Yeah I work for 111 and it’s been insanely busy you cannot imagine! Just call after call...
Glad you’ve got your prescription.

Kwkwjekek it was actually really efficient once I got through! I had visions of having to wait for a dr to call me back.