Over-the-phone health advice on the rise

Latest NHS data has revealed that 20,000 people are now getting urgent health advice from a doctor, nurse, paramedic or other clinical professional over the phone every day.

The figures show that over half of all calls to the NHS 111 phone service received expert assessment from a clinical professional in July this year, with the NHS encouraging people to take advantage of health advice by phone.

Members of the public called the NHS 111 service 1.4 million times last month, an increase of eight per cent compared with the same time last year. NHS England state that 38,000 people received help via the phone line each day last month, contributing to the total of 16 million calls to 111 in the past twelve months.

Patient survey results from the service also suggest that NHS 111 is beginning to ease the pressure on frontline services, with more than one in four people saying they would have gone to A&E and 16 per cent saying they would have called an ambulance had 111 not been available.

Dr Gareth Stuttard, national medical advisor for the NHS 111 service said:  “Around 20,000 people every day find NHS 111 offers expert advice without the need to visit A&E. Over the long weekend, anyone in need of help for a life-threatening emergency can continue to get it at their A&E, but with 16 million people using NHS 111 in the past year alone, and the fact that more than half of all calls last month were dealt with by a health professional, there are safe alternatives to A&E for less severe issues.

“As part of the long-term plan for the health service, the NHS in England is rapidly expanding access to urgent and emergency care by increasing community services, investing in the most up to date technology and improving over the phone advice, which will mean more people get the right care, at the right time while reducing the pressure on ambulance and A&E services.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our fantastic NHS 111 clinicians and call handlers answer over a million calls every month, helping patients with on-the-spot advice and relieving pressure on A&Es. Later this year we will launch the new NHS app where patients will be able to get 111 advice on their smartphone as well as make GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions – revolutionising the way millions of us access healthcare as part of our long term plan to guarantee the future of the NHS.”