This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Lack of response from NHS 111 service

Posted By velabe96

"Lack of response from NHS 111 service"

About: East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust / Emergency ambulance King's Mill Hospital / Accident and emergency NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG

(as a service user),

Rang 111 around 9:45 pm on  Saturday

Over 13 minutes repeatedly told they were experiencing high volumes but my call was important to them

I finally rang off and called 999.

I was informed ambulance would take 8 hours. 15 mins later the Paramedic rang. His wait would be 6 hours, so suggested we go to A&E, Kings Mill.

Whilst at A&E 3 people reported the same experience with 111, always the same message about volumes and importance.

I find this totally unacceptable.  We are advised to use the 111 service but it is obviously not a functioning service.

Please explain why this service is so broken and what (if) measures are being taken.

Please, please do not hide behind phrases about hard over worked staff and underfunding

The 111 service was brought in to relive the pressure on other services, so it ineffectiveness is a management issue.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Sarah Connerton, Patient Experience Manager, East Midlands Ambulance Service nearly 2 years ago
Sarah Connerton
Patient Experience Manager,
East Midlands Ambulance Service

Submitted on 18/08/2022 at 10:39
Published on Care Opinion at 10:39

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We do hope you are feeling much better now. I am sure that NHS 111 will be in touch to answer your query regarding their service as this is separate to East Midlands Ambulance Service. However, I appreciate how frustrating it must have been to then call 999 and be advised that there were long delays for crews to attend to help.

We are currently experiencing high demand on our service and our call takers are explaining if there are long delays expected in order to help the public consider if using alternative options may be appropriate. In this case, this is why the call taker would have advised that making your own way to hospital, if you felt able to, would ensure you received assistance sooner. We are very sorry that, at the time of your 999 call, we were managing a high volume of calls which meant a resource wasnt available to send immediately.

If you wish to discuss this matter in more detail, please do contact our EMAS Patient Experience team, with as much detail as you can (e.g. date, time and location), so that we can respond in more detail. You may contact them via telephone on 0333 012 4216 10am-2pm weekdays (or leave a voicemail if you wish) or email emas.pals@nhs.net.

Best wishes, Sarah Connerton, Patient Experience Manager, East Midlands Ambulance Service

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k