This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS 111 online service to help with coronavirus
NHS England has announced that a new NHS 111 online service has been put in place to help people get quick advice about coronavirus.
Enquiries to the health service about the outbreak have surged, with more than 35,000 people recorded as having used the site in a single day over the weekend to get help and advice.
The NHS in England is also ploughing an initial extra £1.7 million in to 111 to offer more clinical advice over the phone. Additional funding will also provide 500 additional initial call responders with the capacity to answer around 20,000 more calls every day.
Investment, which will increase if demand continues to rise, will free up clinical call handlers’ time so they are able to prioritise callers with symptoms.
Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “NHS staff are working round the clock to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. We know that 111 has come under pressure as people have understandably turned to the service for help, support and advice which is why we are ploughing in funding to increase staff available to field calls.
“The public is also now benefiting from the new NHS 111 online service which is helping increase capacity and free up clinicians time by offering specific help and advice on coronavirus at the touch of a button and has already had more than 70,000 hits since launched on Wednesday. I would like to say a personal thank all those NHS staff who are doing an incredible job caring for patients, testing thousands of worried people and taking calls from thousands more.”
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