°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.ÌýÌýÌý
To get help from °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111, you should:ÌýÌý
Think 111 First is a national programme that aims to get people to contact °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 online or by phone, if they think they need to attend an emergency department for an urgent, but not serious or life-threatening health problem.Ìý
Ìý
The 111 service will assess the person’s needs and direct them to the most appropriate service which could be their GP, a pharmacy, a walk-in centre, minor injuries unit orÌýto speak directly to clinician or go to the emergency department.Ìý
If an experienced clinician at 111 decides the person needs to go to a minorÌýinjuriesÌýunit, urgent treatment centre or an emergency department, they will be able to arrange a timed arrival slot with any of these services.Ìý
(responseÌýprovided by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine)Ìý
Emergencies include:Ìý
If you think you are experiencing any of these it is vital you go straight to your emergency department or call 999.Ìý
If your issue isÌýurgent but not life-threateningÌý– like a sprained ankle – calling 111 and getting a timed arrival slot to attend an emergency department can save you a long and uncertain wait in the department, allowing you to wait in the comfort of your own home until the hospital is ready to see you.Ìý
Examples ofÌýnon-emergenciesÌýwould be earache or knee pain. While these may be uncomfortable you are unlikely to be in any danger and could be treated more appropriately somewhere other than an emergency department.ÌýÌý
For these types of issues contactÌýyourÌýGP, visit 111.nhs.uk or call °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111.Ìý
If you need to go to a minorÌýinjuriesÌýunit, urgent treatment centre or emergency department, °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 can arrange a timed arrival slot for you. They will give you a time to arrive and you can stay at home until then.ÌýÌý
Staff will be expecting you at that time slot and will have received information from °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 about why you are there.Ìý
Of course, people who need care most urgently will be seen first so you may still have to wait. But if we are able to help people get theÌýtreatmentÌýthey need outside of urgent care services like emergency departments, we can reduce the time you might need to wait.Ìý
If people go to an emergency department without having called °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 first, they will still be seen. No one will be turned away.Ìý
Patients needing emergency treatment will be prioritised and those whose conditions are not as urgent may need to wait or will be directed to another service for treatment.ÌýÌý
Ìý
When someone who is expected at an emergency department does not arrive, there will be systems in place to assess whether a follow up is necessary. It is particularly important that if vulnerable patients or those at risk miss an appointment, they are followed up.Ìý
This depends on the change in your conditionÌý-Ìýif you become seriously ill, call an ambulance,ÌýotherwiseÌýcall °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 againÌýto talk about what you are feeling.Ìý
Ìý
It might be better for you to try and contact the specialists that look after you before you come to the emergency department. Some patients with complicated medical problems need to be looked after in places other than the emergency department, particularly if they are vulnerable to infections.ÌýÌý
If you are extremely ill, you should call an ambulance.Ìý
°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 is much more than information line – it helps to get people to the right service for their health needs, first time.ÌýÌý
°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 can arrange appointments at GP surgeries, some minor injuries units and urgent treatment centres - as well as send an ambulance should the person’s condition be serious or life-threatening.ÌýÌý
From December, °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 will be able to arrange a timed arrival slot for people who need to go to a minor injury unit, urgent treatment centre or emergency department.Ìý
To support the service and to deal with any increased pressure as we go into the winter period, capacity in the 111 service has been expanded significantly. This means that more trained health advisors and nurses than ever before will be available to respond to peoples’ health needs.ÌýÌý
Ìý
In many cases °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 clinicians and call advisors can give people the advice they need without them needing to useÌýanotherÌýservices such as an emergency department. In fact, a large proportion of people who call °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 are given advice and support to care forÌýthemselvesÌýat home.Ìý
By reducing the numbers of patients attending an emergency department,ÌýThinkÌý111 First relieves pressure on busy departments and reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmissions in waiting areas.ÌýÌýÌý
°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 health advisors undertake a rigorous training programme and what they say and the questions they ask have been developed by leading clinicians to ensure patients get the right care.ÌýÌý
A multidisciplinary team of experienced clinicians (including nurses, doctors, paramedics and pharmacists) oversee 111 calls, providing support where a patient has more complex needs.ÌýÌý
The °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ 111 system automatically triggers the immediate ambulance dispatch if the patient’s symptoms are considered serious, life-threatening or in need of emergency treatment.ÌýÌý
All 111 providers follow The Accessible Information Standard, meaning that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information they can understand and any communication support they need.Ìý
For those who have difficulties communicating or hearing, they can:ÌýÌý
Our staff at °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Ö±²¥ Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.