Has anyone ever called 111 and NOT been told to go to A and E?

[riotlady]

I know they need to stay on the safe side but i feel like it’s their response to everything, which sort of defeats the purpose a little bit.

And even then it doesn't say 'take your baby to A&E', it says seek medical advice.

@swingofthings Im confused, I thought when you asked me “who says that?” you were referring to my post saying that the reason it’s hard not to take temps seriously is because you’re told to take them straight to the doctor if they have a temp when they’re under 3 months and it’s hard to suddenly switch to being calm about it once they’re 6 months plus. What was it you were asking?

After a recent visit to A&E with my brother, the triage nurse said they send everyone to A&E with a rolled eye glance at her colleague. So I guess they’re sick of it. She also seemed to think my DB was wasting their time by being there simply because 111 had sent him (even though he was admitted for five days because it turned out he’d had a mini stroke after an epileptic seizure).

Based on that interaction I don’t think 111 helps at all.

Yes. They very helpfully arrangedfor an emergency doctors apt when surgery was closed. rather than have to wait in out of hours walk in clinic

You said that the advice was to go straight to the doctor when the NHS website actually says that you need to seek clinical advice which doesn't mean having to go straight to doctors or A&E.

My comments though were about parents lacking confidence in children's health matter and rushing to take their kids to A&E when there is either no need or waiting for GP appointment would have been fine or even asking a pharmacist in some cases.

DS13 recently got something stuck on his hand and, after a lengthy battle to try and remove it using the usual Tom and Jerry style things, we called 111 and were told we'd have to go to A&E. It ended up being removed by the fire brigade so 111 made the right call.

I burned my hand a few years back pretty badly but didn't think it warranted A&E, DH phoned 111 and they said absolutely A&E, it turned out I needed surgery so 111 made the right call.

I tend not to phone them unless we've exhausted other options, and I'm confident in doing First Aid at home, so I'd only ever call if we'd tried other things first.

Actually the opposite- my almost 6 month old was having her first allergic reaction and hives popping up all over her body. 111 said phone GP. GP called back and was like WTF you doing calling me go to A&E. I took her by myself her rear facing in the car... Thank fuck she didn't go anaphylactic on me because she would have died in that 30 mins drive and I'd have had no clue. Still kicking myself over that decision as I definitely should have called an ambulance, but luckily it ended up ok.

Yes, once! I had a burn that I genuinely didn't know if it was something that needed looking at or not, as it was bigger than any of my "usual" burns - not that I'm habitually burning myself. Some brain farty panicking was involved, I think, which is why I called. I had a nurse call me back, ask lots of questions, and recommend it's fine to be left on its own. It healed just fine.

I’ve helpfully been told to call 999 as they can’t blue light an ambulance only for 999 to refer me back to 111. I say I, my dad was calling for me because as it turned out, I had meningitis. Spent 2 hours on the phone

Only twice been sent to A&E. Once I felt was unnecessary but the second time I know why they sent me.

The rest of the time is an out of hours appointment when needed.

We’ve rang for me, who then got a gp out of hours to phone us, he than sent an ambulance.
I’ve rang twice for ds2 once was a ear infection and they sent us to the out of hours gp, then second time they sent us straight to hospital to see the doctor- he had suspected meningitis. Luckily it was diagnosed as swine flu (when that was going around). As he’d only been diagnosed with it 2 weeks before and had taken tamiflu or whatever it was called, the doctor freed we could just ‘wait and see’ how he went over the next few days.
I’ll be honest I’ve always found them really good in our area, and it’s only on here I see that people have problems.

Oooh! Me! When dd2, aged 8months at the time, had a broken drawer fall from quite a height onto her head, I called and was just told to keep an eye on her and keep pressure on the wound to stem the bleeding.

Side note: heads bleed a hell of a lot!

I did as told though and she was/is totally fine. Bar a tiny scar. I'm still not recovered, mind! But she was always trying to off herself.

I dont understand why anyone would ring 111 then moan they were taking too long for a medical emergency or their child stopped breathing etc... in that case ring 999! Have used 111 twice, once we got an ooh gp appointment when ds was a few weeks old, and a few months ago 1yo DS had severe croup and they sent the paramedics.

We've used 111 a lot (no other out of hours advice in our area until very recently) - I would estimate about a dozen calls over 6 or so years. Only one A&E visit - they actually sent an ambulance for my toddler with breathing difficulties which seemed excessive but the ambulance folk and the doctors at A&E said it was the right call.

I have been told to stay put and get on with it twice. Once I had a sickness bug and had not kept any food or drink down for days, I felt dehydrated and faint and I had no idea when this became dangerous IYSWIM. The next time I called because I was worried my ill 2yo was deteriorating and very weak and tired so I was scared it was becoming meningitis or something but they just told me to keep treating him at home. Both times we did get better on our own so it was the right call.
I have been sent to OOH for:
Nasty UTI, very painful and couldn't hold in my wee.
When I put something out in my already SPD pelvis when I was pregnant and was in absolute agony. They wanted to send an ambulance because they always do when pregnant but I explained that it was in no way effecting anything to do with my reproductive system so this wasn't appropriate.
I have been sent to A and E once, when I developed tachycardia causing a tight chest and palpitations all day and I was pregnant.

The pattern seems to be they always send you to OOH or A&E of you are pregnant or are a baby under 1. I have heard that if you are an at risk group of a heart attack and you say anything to do with your chest it's the same, but that might be BS.

In my case my dad called 999 first and they said it wasn’t life threatening so was referred on to 111. It went back and forward for a while - my parents couldn’t get me out the house to a and e themselves or would have.

@swingofthings yes, I didn’t mean go to a and e, but I’m not sure how you would seek immediate medical advice other than the doctor or 111?

I wasn’t trying to argue with you, I agree parents often lack confidence dealing with things, was just trying to explain why I think that is sometimes.

I understand. It is, difficult and although not a doctor, my confidence is above average. Saying that, I've made errors myself but not life threatening.

My ds broke his arm/fingers 5 times and bruised an arm/knee/foot badly a few more times. Knowing when to get x rays or not has not proven straight forward and indeed he's been more in pain with bad bruising than a full on break!

I still think people assume that A&E is prevention when a lot of the time, all they can say is 'keep an eye for x, y and z and come back if they deteriorate'.

My experience -

1. 'an ambulance Is on its way, blue lights and sirens to you right now' (despite my begging them not to) - chest pains for the last few weeks in an otherwise fit and healthy 20 yr old. Repeatedly told me I had probably been having multiple heart attacks and was likely having one right now - this helped the anxiety that it turned out to be.

2. an ambulance is on its way!
   This was for light sensitivity and a severe headache after an on operation. Turned out to be dehydration, they said it was probably meningitis.

Totally understand why they wanted me to be seen by a Dr both times, but did they need to be so extra about it?...

Shaytoon - from calling 111? In Scotland NHS24 (111) and 999 are separate (or were) and can’t cross call. 999 for blue light and 111 for non emergency slow response.

I did when I rang when I had a ball stone attack..
They just made me an appointment for The next day with the GP.

GALL stone attack, not a ball stone attack.. that would have required a&e considering I am very much female!

I’ve found it great since having a baby.

Sent to emergency ooh (with an appointment slot so didn’t have to wait too long) when I had severe mastitis and needed antibiotics, when my burst episiotomy got infected and first lot of abs didn’t work and I was in agony on a Sunday evening, and when baby had a weird reaction to one of his jabs.

Callback from a doctor who had checked the poisons register for me and told to monitor carefully when baby sucked an inky paintbrush

Yes once, when my son had meningitis

Luckily I trusted my instinct and went anyway.