Teenagers answering 111 calls

[hiddenhome2]

Daily Mail link

[Bluelilies]

16 year olds can join the army, or work as a care assistant. They can join the police or train to be a paramedic at 18, so I don't really see the problem with them reading through a list of set questions and typing the answers into a computer. My 12 year old could do that without difficulty.

[madamginger]

I've worked in pharmacy since I was 17, giving out medical advice under the supervision of a pharmacist. I'm sure these teenagers are also supervised by someone suitably trained

[brotherphil]

Standard DM bogeyman - trying to make the NHS look bad so that Our Gracious Leader can claim it's "not fit for purpose" when Gideon sells off the rest of it.

[Lanchester]

well, I agree that the 111 service seems to be worryingly staffed if they are employing inexperienced young or poorly trained staff,
THAT SHOULD NOT happen.
but the 111 service does do some good work too - for example
I had cause to use the service recently for a student who had tried to sign on with a GP Surgery but was repeatedly refused by several surgeries. The student rang 111 and they helped very efficiently - and it was a contrast to the staff at the GP Surgeries who had seemed to believe that their primary job was to prevent people getting to see a GP.

[jamtartandcustard]

each nhs trust does contract out the 111 service to a different provider - some run by ambulance centres, some by private organisations. the 111 service for cornwall is by a completely different company to the one run by Hertfordshire for example. each service provider has to compete for each contact. so don't think one bad 111 means every 111 service is bad.
17 year olds are allowed, legally, to work full time in the UK. a 111 service cannot refuse to hire a 17year old based on their age just like they couldn't refuse to hire a 60 year old. it is age discrimination.
if at 16, you can join the army and fight for the country, I'm sure you can manage to answer the phone and tell someone where their nearest pharmacist is

[onlywhenyouleave]

Not all 111 services are private - quite a few areas have the 111 service run by the ambulance service which is an NHS organisation.

The one that the Daily Mail are constantly criticising happens to be a private organisation but they just ignore this fact as it doesn't suit their agenda.

[Mistigri]

I wouldn't be shocked by an 18/19 year old on minimum wage being employed in a call centre, although you'd hope that they received appropriate training before being set lose on a member of the public.

Putting a untrained minor on the end of the phone is another matter though. As I said above it's been suggested that one of these young people put someone with stroke symptoms on hold. Should we put that degree of responsibility on someone we don't even consider responsible enough to cast a vote?

[Ubik1]

They are also often very bright, clear headed, have bags of energy especially fir nightshifts and have the same level of understanding as more mature colleagues.

They run algorithms based on symptoms. Same as every other call handler.

[Lightbulbon]

18 year olds work in care homes.

How is this different.

They are cheap!

[FannyFanakapan]

"I don't think it's appropriate for people of this age to be dealing with sick, frightened and stressed members of the public"

My DD worked for Boots as a healtcare assistant from 16 - she took her NVQ2 while working and dealt with sick, frightened and stressed members of the public every day. ANd gave them medical advice. Its not rocket science.

I would love to see stats on how many people are told to take plenty of fluids, a couple of paracetamol and see their pharmacist in the morning if they dont feel better, because I suspect the majority of people calling 111 are the worried well who just need a bit or reassurance.

[Ubik1]

Not in scotland

[Wolpertinger]

NHS 111 is privatised. Everyone in the NHS pointed out it would be a crap idea but it was forced through anyway, presumably because it was going to make someone lots of money.

But in the reporting they never mention it's a private company.

[Leafygreentrees]

111 has already been privatised. It has been run for a number of years by a private company called Care UK. It operates behind the logo of the NHS.

None of the reporting i've seen about it recently highlights that it is a private company, meaning that the NHS as an organisation cops the blame for any difficulties. Which must be handy for the company, but not so much for the NHS

[Hulababy]

Ubik1

The vast majority of children sit GCSEs at the end of Y11. Most will be 16. Some may still be 16. The exams are in May/June and the children will all be 16y by the end of Y11 (by August 31st.)

You can do GCSEs early but this will become less common with the new GCSEs that have been launched and it isn't generally a good thing anyway.

[Mabelface]

The Daily Mail like nothing more than a good old NHS slag off fest. It's NHS 111's turn so jezza cunt can talk about privatising that with his mates.

[Ubik1]

Well our service triaged 5M calls every weekend. Perhaps the DM could suggest an alternative

[noblegiraffe]

The Daily Mail is running a campaign of articles against 111 at the moment, this is just part of it.

I wonder what they are hoping the outcome would be?

[NewLife4Me]

I think GCSE's are any time from y9 - y11.
I suppose the oldest could be !7 in year 11? or would they be 16?

[Ubik1]

I thought you took GCSEs at 15/16

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

The age of the people have changed since I read the story this morning (before I saw this thread). It said 18yos following their a levels this morning but now it says 17yos following their gcses.

[NewLife4Me]

How is an 18 year old a minor? I thought after 16 you were considered an adult?
I on't see it being a problem, but at any age they need to be fully trained whatever the job is.

[Keeptrudging]

If it's anything like other call centres, they'll have a script/set questions they have to ask which lead them onto the next set of questions. I'm under no illusions that if I have to phone NHS 24 I'm speaking to a fully trained professional. I'm (initially) talking to a call - handler who runs through generic questions. The computer tells them whether I'm a priority, then I wait for 3 hours to be called back by an actual medically trained person.

[Ubik1]

But when I worked for 111 we had eight weeks intensive training.

[Ubik1]

I think there are probably safeguards there and this is pointless DM scaremongering.

111 runs many info lines. We had nurse practitioners walking the floor when I was there. It was a very tightly controlled process. Many 18 year olds were taking calls - working nightshifts before a day at university I the morning.

[LurkingHusband]

The problem isn't their age

Except how does the concept of liability come into this ? Can we hold a minor to the same standard as an adult ?