Page 2 | 111 is non functioning

Wronglane · 2022-12-04T21:50:23+00:00

Spoke to them at 8:30 this morning about my sick son. Had a callback 3 hours later from a nurse who said we needed to speak to a doctor who would phone us. Heard absolutely nothing back since. 111 is no longer a functioning service is it?

EmmaAgain22 · 04/12/2022 22:48

Honey 36 hours in the corridor! Bloody hell. I did 18 and a nurse tried to send me home (kindly - she thought I was tiring myself out for no reason but I wouldn't leave mum).

all good wishes to you both.

Outfor150 · 04/12/2022 22:48

They functioned all too well when I called them about a month ago. I was slightly alarmed, as they insisted on calling an ambulance, even though I just phoned wondering if I maybe should go to a hospital. Ambulance arrived less than ten minutes later. I have never called 111 before.

mummabubs · 04/12/2022 22:49

I posted on another thread about this, I've had to call them twice this week.

First time - on behalf of husband. Waited an hour for call to be answered. After assessment Qs was told to take him straight to A&E and asked if we wanted an ambulance. Said no, as I was able to drive him. Took him straight down (worried and stressed to the max given the reaction from 111). He was there less than 30 minutes and they sent us home again saying there was no need for us to have gone. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Second time - called at 2am on behalf of our 5 year old son who had confirmed flu via PCR, a temperature of 40+ and was refusing ibuprofen or calpol. I explained the above and asked if it was safe to wait and see if his temp came down given he was refusing meds. Assessor told me to wait and a dr would call me back to say if we needed to go to hospital. I stayed awake all night, no call. Then they left me a message at 10am saying my son's case had been reviewed and the advice was to take him to a pharmacy for ibuprofen or calpol. Literally the most pointless response and experience.

I'm an NHS employee myself and desperately wanted 111 to work. I haven't had to use it before this week and have to say I was shocked at how poor it was both times.

trailerandtractor · 04/12/2022 22:50

My neighbour waited almost 22 hrs for a call back this weekend. Concerned her child has scarlet fever, very poorly. Decided to take to local walk in clinic and child does indeed had scarlet fever.

walkinginsunshinekat · 04/12/2022 22:52

Why cant paramedics and nurses that cant work due to physical injury not work in 111 so you get properly triaged straight away?

They are off sick, not at work, do you think a nurse or paramedic who has been kicked or punched in the face should be on the phone to answer the phone, driving to a 111 call centre.... ffs.

FatOaf · 04/12/2022 22:52

Many senior doctors say 111 is not effective for young children. See, for example, www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/04/strep-a-parents-told-to-be-vigilant-after-seventh-child-in-uk-reported-to-have-died.

gogohmm · 04/12/2022 22:58

I have found them excellent for both myself and dd, though it's been over a year since I've called. 111 dental access got me a same day appointment too. 111 got the mental health team to visit dd during covid too.

roarfeckingroarr · 04/12/2022 22:59

Three posts about 111 this evening alone: it must be a mess

AriettyHomily · 04/12/2022 23:00

I called 111 once as I had a chest infection over bank holiday, knew I needed AB's. They wanted to send an ambulance because their script was I had chest pain. Yes I did, but not having a heart attack. When I called 999 for an ambulance for my 8yo with stridor it was a nine hour wait. I took her to a and e. The system is broken.

DillyDillyLavender · 04/12/2022 23:03

Just had to call 111 for my DH who was having severe abdomnial pain. Took ages to get through (about 20 mins wait) but once through, got an appt with an out of hours GP within the hour. DH is currently on his way there.

I’ve used the service for DD a few times in the past, and have never had to wait that long to speak to soneone, and there was a message saying that they were only taking calls for very urgent problems, so I do think they are struggling.

Squamata · 04/12/2022 23:16

I did an online form yesterday 8am, call back at 4pm, she basically told me off for wasting time as DD had got slightly better

DashboardConfessional · 04/12/2022 23:19

I think it is particularly bad this week due to Strep A. In September I got straight through with DS (temp of 40, sudden rash, breathless - he's been hospitalised twice with viral wheeze) and they sent an ambulance in 4 minutes.

kittensinthekitchen · 04/12/2022 23:33

roarfeckingroarr · 04/12/2022 22:59

Three posts about 111 this evening alone: it must be a mess

Many of the 111 posts that appear are made by 'new users'.

Make of that what you will.

Stressedbeyond · 05/12/2022 01:46

I am a call handler for 111. The calls waiting today were triple what I have ever seen (post Covid)

The amount of common sense in this country seems to be zero right now. Sure, call if your young child is ill but the amount of people who call us with injuries resulting in suspected broken bones is unreal. What do you expect us to do over the phone when you need an X-ray?

DrMarciaFieldstone · 05/12/2022 01:49

I rang 111 for DC today, it took about 30 mins to get through, but then they were fantastic and sent us to urgent care immediately where DC was seen in 20 mins.

It’s been really busy this weekend, but it was functioning for us

Stressedbeyond · 05/12/2022 01:50

DrMarciaFieldstone · 05/12/2022 01:49

I rang 111 for DC today, it took about 30 mins to get through, but then they were fantastic and sent us to urgent care immediately where DC was seen in 20 mins.

It’s been really busy this weekend, but it was functioning for us

I’m so glad To hear that 😍

DrMarciaFieldstone · 05/12/2022 01:50

trailerandtractor · 04/12/2022 22:50

My neighbour waited almost 22 hrs for a call back this weekend. Concerned her child has scarlet fever, very poorly. Decided to take to local walk in clinic and child does indeed had scarlet fever.

Surely this was a better option than ringing 111 anyway

Simonjt · 05/12/2022 02:40

We haven’t had great experiences either, they don’t have an appropriate number of staff.

My son was unwell a few weeks ago, temperature, letharic, quiet (he is never quiet!), sore throat and trouble swallowing and paracetamol wasn’t really helping his temperature. We were told we’d get a call back, I ended up taking him to hospital as he wasn’t improving at all and hadn’t had enough water that day. He was given antibiotics for tonsillitis and we weren’t allowed home until he had drunk a certain amount. From calling 111 to getting home from hospital was 18 hours, we received our call back about three hours after getting home.

teezletangler · 05/12/2022 05:01

I rang 111 at a lunchtime once as my 18 month old banged her head in a soft play!? and a massive lump came up straight away

The information about what to do in this situation is readily available on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-injury-and-concussionn^^/^

If there was a little more education and signposting around common conditions and incidents, a lot of these calls could be avoided.

Guitarbar · 05/12/2022 06:12

There's a shortage of doctors in this country and its only going to get worse. Its scary how thinly stretched they are and make no mistake people are dying because of it. No one seems that bothered about lobbying the government for better pay and conditions for them in an attempt to retain them though so...enjoy.

houseargh · 05/12/2022 06:25

I don't really get all the people getting so defensive on threads like these, or suggesting that anyone complaining about NHS services is trolling. Let's be clear, I want to keep the NHS, I have the greatest sympathy for the people currently working there, but it clearly IS being run into the ground - those who think we shouldn't be able to point that out are suggesting that we need to just put up with the current situation - which is surely just helping the Tories with their task, as it's fairly clear that if things continue the way they are, the NHS will not survive. It's ok to point out that the current situation is not normal or ok

girlmom21 · 05/12/2022 06:30

There are GP shortages everywhere. That's the problem.

Maybe the solution is a centralised system rather than being registered with a specific GP, where all issues are directed through 111 and all GP's respond on the basis of 111 communications.

Cornettoninja · 05/12/2022 06:31

I had to call last week on behalf of someone having a mental health crisis. Three times I followed the correct options, three times I got cut off. I got one call off an unknown number which I suspect was them but when I answered there was no one there and it then cut me off.

They’re massively overwhelmed but it’s frightening and distinctly unhelpful when someone is insisting that no one cares or can help them and a service proves that notion without even a promise of a callback.

relamped · 05/12/2022 06:37

Stressedbeyond · 05/12/2022 01:46

I am a call handler for 111. The calls waiting today were triple what I have ever seen (post Covid)

The amount of common sense in this country seems to be zero right now. Sure, call if your young child is ill but the amount of people who call us with injuries resulting in suspected broken bones is unreal. What do you expect us to do over the phone when you need an X-ray?

They want you to "fast track them at A&E" because they know the waits are long!

mummyh2016 · 05/12/2022 06:46

It worked in the past but doesn't now. 2 weeks ago 111 was called for my 93 year old nan. It was a Friday afternoon, her surgery closes at lunchtime that day. She needed to be seen by someone but we all believed A+E was not suitable, it's not practical for someone of that age to be sat in a waiting room for hours on end. Called 111 who said they needed to send an ambulance but it would be a long wait. 6 hours later it arrived, the ambulance crew said she needs to see an out of hours GP and did not want to take her in to hospital. The ambulance crew spent 3 hours at my nans house before 111 managed to get an out of hours GP appointment and a GP came out to her at 1am.
Why did it take sending an ambulance to get that appointment? It shouldn't be up to those crew to triage who needs to see a doctor.
Previous experience was great, DD had a suspected UTI (a Friday again when the surgery was shut) and we had a OOH GP appointment within 4 hours. This was only 2 years ago, what has happened in those 2 years