"My mother, aged 95 , living alone."

The Wandsworth watch alarm warden rang me early one Sunday morning to say that my mother was at home alone, confused and hallucinating, and recommended that I get a doctor to attend to her.

I live an hours drive away, so rang her doctors out of hours number and was transferred automatically to NHS 111. I asked for a doctor to go to see her, and was refused because my mother was not able to be assessed over the phone. She was unable, in a confused state, to ring 111 for herself so the only option was to call an ambulance.

It appears to me that NHS 111 is only available to those well enough to get to, and use, a phone or who are not alone when ill. It clearly discriminates against the most vulnerable members of society and risks putting additional pressure on ambulance and hospital services.