111 - was told I would receive a call back in 2 hours but haven't yet?

[Mummy2923]

Appreciate NHS are very busy and completely understaffed, but was told I'd have a call back within 2 hours but it's now been 3 and half.

Whenever I've rent before, they've always been pretty good at calling within the time frame .

Should I calm back ? Don't want to break wasting someone else's time on phone..?

The last time we rang 111 (over the Christmas period) we were told the same and it took over 12 hours. That was with a child (young teen, I hope if he'd been 5 they'd have been quicker)I think all you can do is sit tight, unfortunately. It's crap but there it is.

We were told we’d have a call back within the hour and it was more like five hours in the end

Ps sorry, I should also have said I hope you / the person you've called about is OK.

Thank you for your replies. It's for my 8 month daughter ! Wish they wouldn't even give a time frame to be honest!

Although thinking about it , when my son was poorly before Christmas, a doctor rang me within an hour, was told another 1 would ring within 2 hours (this was 9pm) and they rang me at 2am!!

My mum is still waiting for the call back she was promised on January 2nd🤷🏻‍♀️

That's so crap OP. Hope you hear soon. I don't know how it works but you'd think an under -1 would be triaged fairly near the top of the list.

@Mummy2923 Hope your little one is ok!! We had to call a few weeks back and it took about 90 mins to get through on the phone and took about 4 hours for a callback rather than the 2 hours that they said.
After our call back they then sent our details to the “Doctors on call” and we had a call from them within half an hour and an out of hours appointment for DS within an hour as they wanted to see him for assessment.
111 are always extremely busy but we’ve always been really lucky and been dealt with quickly after getting through that callback stage!

If you are worried, go straight to A&E. When I phoned with my son last month Iit was 16 hours until I got a call back - I'd given up after 5 hours and went to A&E where we were seen and treated within 4 hours. I'll never use 111 again it's an awful 'service'.

Sometimes it takes ages for them to call back. They called me back at 3.00 in the morning. Just go to A & E. You'll be seen quicker.

I had a 1yr old and was called back by three different doctors as some of signs could be classed as an emergency. They were very ‘on it’ and said we should go to A&E on the final one. It turned out not to be an emergency at all and it was just sickness and I did feel a bit guilty as I knew that if I were more concerned I would have gone straight away. Luckily our hospital is only a few mins down the road.

It could be because of the symptoms, but if you are worried and A&E is near, then go.

We never even got a call back despite being told it was a priority as DS was a very young baby.

Took 12 hours for them to call me back on 23 dec (asthma exacerbation, couldn’t get dr app, urgent care 20 miles away, dh had car for work) said the urgent care nurse would ring to do over phone appointment. That never happened. Ordered urgent inhaler by internet pharmacy and hammered it.

When my 2 year old DS had croup over Christmas it took them over 12 hours to call back, at which point we were already sat on a hospital ward.

We needed help from NHS 111 yesterday and I had to take my child out of school for them to ‘assess’ her in front of me. She then missed the rest of the day of school as we waited for a call back. This is just to get an ordinary appointment from any GP as our current provider has made it impossible to book future appointments and they are always full anyway. I have spent hours on hold, getting cut off near the end of the queue (hmmmm….) only to be told they can’t give her an appointment. NHS 111 rang us at 0241 in the morning and 0556 (this time giving us such a short missed call that the mobile never rang). Is this service? No, it is not. Today I have booked to see my MP and reported all of them to the Care Quality Commission. Here’s a breakdown of the efforts we have made to sort out her growths on her lips:
Tried to book an appointment face to face in 2020. Given video call and told to apply antiseptic cream. It didn’t work.
Asked a pharmacist who sold us cold sore cream. It didn’t work.
Tried to book an appointment online using the GP surgery form x 30. They were full and not accepting forms outside of 9-6pm.
Tried to buy Corticosteroid cream from the pharmacist but was told for a child’s lips, I needed to go to my GP.
Tried to submit form within 9-6 and told they couldn’t give us an appointment today and to try again another day. We asked for a response within 7 days, not an appointment the same day.
Phoned the surgery to ask for an appointment. On hold for 30 minutes and was cut off when 3rd in line. Called again, on hold for 33 mins and was told they couldn’t give my 6 year old an appointment today or book one in the future. I was told to try again another day. I said I couldn’t keep spending my entire morning trying to get service from them and warned them I would go to my MP. Receptionist tried to book an appointent elsewhere but none were available. She told me again to try again tomorrow or go to NHS 111. NHS 111 wanted to assess her on the line so she was pulled out of lessons. They called back at 0241 and 0556.

It is appalling.

Just go to AE! 🤦
AS an ex AE nurse it's that attitude that makes waiting times excessive in A and E's. It should be used properly not as a GP service.

Since the OP posted in Feb I expect the situations been resolved 🙄

@Pebblemonster

They triage the baby is 8 months (probably much older now!!!) as this is an old thread but as ex a and e nurse with no idea what's wrong with a baby I'm astonished you are trying to make someone feel bad

If you're really worried and it's OOH go to A&E. You cannot take a chance with children.

When I rang for one of my children, the 2 hour call back took 17 hours. I will never use 111 again and will go to A&E now out of hours - what other option is there on a weekend if 111 don't call back?!?

Needless to say we were at the hospital by the time they rang back.

Just seen that this is an old thread. Ah well. Point still stands though!

Why did you resurrect a zombie thread to say this?

Well, people who think using accident and emergency as a gp practice frankly need a reality check as its pathetic. I would bring it up time and again even if the thread was 20 years old as idiots seem to never learn!
When I worked in AE and was on triage, if someone booked in with a GP problem they would not get past me at triage and therefore not get seen in AE and told to see correct health care professional.
Is that OK with you internet copper?

You sound fun.

22 hours last time I called for an allergic reaction on a child. Obviously gave up on them & dealt with it elsewhere

I rang them at 10am, told I'd get a call back within 3 hours ... they called back 5am the next morning. If your 8mo is really sick honestly just take her to hospital/ urgent care. Not worth the wait with a baby that young, they can't communicate.

Try 24 hours. We had this recently.
Over this weekend, I waited over an hour for an ambulance when I thought I was having another stroke. Once I arrived at A&E I was left in a corridor for 45 minutes alone after a CT scan. Once I got the all clear, I discharged myself. The doctor argued with me about how I was safer in hospital (and how they wanted to try a lumbar puncture to double check). 5 hours alone without painkillers or supervision isn't safe. I had a Hemiplegic migraine. It was scary to think at one point I thought I was going to die and nothing would be done. (Seems dramatic now looking back but it's a scary thought).