Whilst it’s always been the most wonderful time of the year for Andy Williams; for the nurses, paramedics, doctors, call handlers, and support staff providing the NHS 111 service in Hampshire and the Thames Valley, Christmas is definitely the busiest time of the year.
Over the two-week festive period last winter there were nearly 75,000 calls to the NHS 111 service for Thames Valley and Hampshire, provided by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS). That’s an average of around 220 calls every hour of every day. The busiest day was Saturday, 23 December 2023 when there were 8,280 calls to the service.
Joanne McPartlane, head of integrated urgent care and 111 services at SCAS, said:
“NHS 111 should be used this Christmas and New Year for when you need urgent medical help that can’t wait, for example, until your GP surgery or local pharmacy is open. If it’s not an urgent problem, there is plenty of advice and information you can find on the NHS App or online at NHS.uk, including how to treat symptoms of common winter illnesses at home with over-the-counter remedies and self-care.”
“If you do need to call at peak times over the Christmas period, such as at the weekend or on a bank holiday, it may take longer than normal to get through. Please don’t hang up and redial, as this will send you to the back of the queue. Bear with us and we will answer your call; or you can always use the online service at 111.nhs.uk. Whether you call or go online, you’ll get the same help and advice based on your symptoms.”
The service, which SCAS operates from three clinical co-ordination centres in Bicester, Milton Keynes and Otterbourne, can assess and direct people with an urgent medical need to the most appropriate local service, including urgent treatment centres, GP practices and consultations with a pharmacist. If needed, it can also arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic or provide self-treatment advice.
NHS 111 symptom checker and advice online
- Use NHS 111 online at www.111.nhs.uk
- Get the NHSApp for Apple or Android