To make complaint about 111

[Jakie7700]

Not sure if I should make a complaint regarding 111 or not so wanted advice if others would. I really do understand they must be under alot if pressure at the moment but surely that's no excuse to give poor/false info out.
Rang couple hours ago for advice regarding DC who is 18 months. DC has had a cold the last week or so but today started to be breathing a bit wheezy and slightly struggling she has none of the three main coronavirus symptoms. Did try ringing GP first but either constantly engaged or get accidently hung up on after listening to all the COVID advice message.
So 111 told me after explaining that as my DC has difficulty breathing to phone GP for advice and we have to isolate till she recieves a negative test as she has coronavirus symptoms. Firstly I said why do we have to isolate as breathing issues isn't one of the three reasons to isolate and I have already tried doctors but can't get through and they are due to close soon. She kept repeating we have to isolate and not to use public transport etc. She explained that breathing issues have always been a reason to isolate appartley surely this isn't correct advice? Also surely they should be giving current correct info on when and when you don't need to isolate. Otherwise if every symptom of any cold was a reason to isolate most people over winter would be isolating for most of it! Also did not give me any advice on what to do or where to go if DC breathing gets any worse. Thankfully DC seems a bit better at the moment so will just keep a close eye on her. If any worse will just take her to A&E

@HamsterHolder But the answers I gave were DC had a cold recently ie sneezing running nose no temp no coughing etc and starting to have trouble with wheezing how would that of brought up a answer to self isolate as from everything I can see online it doesn't? Do you have the link to a chart as everything I can see only says to isolate for the main three symptoms. Otherwise surely pretty much everyone at some point over winter will be isolating then if you have symptoms such as headache, sore throat, fatigue, wheezing as these are very common symptoms for common cold, chest infections, croup that are not anything to do with covid.

The thing is if their system tells me it's so important to isolate because it could be covid like you say surely that would be serious in a 18 month old baby and would surely require a medically trained person to at least speak to me? So they can't have it one way without the other.
I do understand the pressure 111 must be under but just feel giving out info that is not the same as what is listed on the nhs website is poor and if they honestly believed my DC who is a baby could of have covid hence telling us to isolate surely that warrants further advice on what to do or look out for from a medically trained person.

I totally get where you are coming from with comments of people calling a ambulance in a situation that is not life threatening and they could of driven to A&E themselves that really makes me angry as it abuses the service in my opinion. But that is what I was trying to avoid I knew my DC needed to be seen either by GP or out of hours but 111 where of no help to facilitate that and surely this is what their set up for? So instead of calling a ambulance I drove my DC to A&E in the early hours or morning as she was not better. But I can see how that might turn into someone calling a ambulance as no one else will help them and the best part of the 111 advice yesterday was I am not aloud to use public transport including a taxi. So if I didn't drive I would have no choice but to call a ambulance according to the 'advice'.

OP I think you should complain in case the call handler wasn't following the script properly. It could be a member of staff who isn't doing their job properly in which case other people could be put at risk. Call handlers are human beings and mistakes can happen.
My DD had a wheezing episode age 8 and 111 called an ambulance automatically, it does sound like something went wrong in your case