111 - what's the point?

Only the best of experience with 111.

(Lockdown 1)I had a sudden acute allergic reaction. Rang 111 and was given an immediate appointment at minor injuries clinic .

(Lockdown 2) DH began to show symptoms, mild, but similar to those of a heart attack. I rang 111. They immediately ordered an ambulance that arrived within ten minutes.

111 were marvellous when I had my mini-stroke last year.
They rang back within 5 minutes, organised an ambulance, and contacted the hospital that I was on the way .I was very impressed.

My S had a tooth abscess last week, no dentist available as has been happening.
He rang 111 who told him to go to A&E.
They don’t normally do Dental but when 111 told them my S’s eye was practically closed they saw him immediately and gave him antibiotics.
He now needs to see a dentist as soon as the swelling goes down, a very different matter.

I wish I’d known I could have booked through 111, to be seen in our local minor injury department. Instead, I waited for three hours, while people with appointments breezed in.....were seen straight away, and left again! ?

I think a Doctor Ringback is a very good outcome for him. The resources of 111 are much better than those available to a Doctor receptionist. Their intervention meant that the GP was better informed, before the call was made.

I was in a terrible state when I called 111. The ringback Doctor advised me to go to my local chemist. He spoke to the pharmacist while I was there and authorise a prescription for me.

In addition, when I spoke to GP later, I was able to tell her what had happened and she then increased my prescription dose. Something that had been refused before.

So the advice given was that your husband needed a doctor as opposed to picking something up from a pharmacy to try or going to A&E . Sounds reasonable to me??

I have had good experiences with 111.
When my DH was bitten by a dog they set my mind at rest and on another occasion they made an appointment for me at our local Walk-in Centre so I didn't have to queue.

I had a very good experience with 111 during the first lockdown. I had a problem with my eye so I called them on a Saturday morning, got through in about 5 minutes. Spoke to a call handler who put me through to a nurse. She thought I needed to speak to a doctor, who called me back about an hour later. The doctor arranged for me to have a face to face examination that afternoon at a local community hospital, where they prescribed antibiotics.
On the Monday, my own doctor called me to see how I was doing.

I think it just depends on circumstances and I felt it had been dealt with really well.

I guess that if your DH had needed emergency treatment they would have been useful, or if you have a problem out of Surgery hours.