Dial 111 if you don't want an ambulance

[Nick]

 

First thing that occurred to me was why not call NHS DIrect? It seemed to occur to Evan Davies too and he questioned if 111 and NHSD were the same thing. Apparently not. SO the NHS has two independent parallel services running. WTF is that about?

[Uncle Mort]

The government service will not initially replace NHS Direct, but may do so in the longer term if successful.

Anyway, it appears to be aimed at are the twats who phone 999 when it's not an emergency. They're TWATS! they are still going to phone 999. I reckon it's going to prove a pointless exercise.

[GROWLER]

The government service will not initially replace NHS Direct, but may do so in the longer term if successful.

Anyway, it appears to be aimed at are the twats who phone 999 when it's not an emergency. They're TWATS! they are still going to phone 999. I reckon it's going to prove a pointless exercise.

Well have you tried getting a taxi when yore bladdered?

[Snoopy]

I think the 111 service trial goes beyond NHS direct as it can be used to call for matters other than health ~ it's just that "Today" focused, as usual, on only one point that Evan was trying to make. (And I do wish he would take that half giggle/half sneer out of his voice when he thinks he is being clever)

In Denbighshire we have a not dissimilar service run by the County Council that you can ring to ask about and report all sorts of problems. They will patch you through to the appropriate emergency service if they think it appropriate. Unfortunately it only runs Mon to Fri 8 till 5. I am told that it has stopped a lot of "Somebody's dog has just shat on my lawn" calls going through to the Police Emergency number.

Meanwhile NHS Direct is, in my experience, a total waste of time and space. "Pain in your chest? Dial 999" ---- "Pain in your back ~ history of heart trouble? Dial 999" --- "Cut your finger ~ still bleeding because you take blood thinning tablets? Dial 999"

[Grumpmeister]

I do see a potential problem with the 111 number, the European emergency services number (which also works here) is 112.. How long do you think its going to be before cretins people are ringing the emergency number by mistake. 

[Nick]

 

Death to idiots 

[Miss Creant Commander of the picklement and baking BAb(Hons)]

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2010/09/08/non-emergency-phone-line-inundated-by-time-wasting-emergency-calls/

The new 111 non-emergency advice line has been subjected to a litany of ‘time-wasting’ emergency calls including a heart attack, a stroke and a road traffic accident.

Police have already been asked to intervene following a number of calls including one man who rang up to say that he was suffering a cardiac arrest. ‘This man should be thoroughly ashamed of himself,’ said junior Health minister Paul Burstow. ‘His heart attack could be blocking a much less important call from someone with a grazed knee or a bit of a headache.’

Staff at the advice line have been reportedly ‘very upset’ by the gruesome and shocking nature of some of the calls.
 

[Pirate]

I drive one of these on me days off, for the out of hours GP's



You'd be amazed at some of the calls we respond to 

[Grumpmeister]

I managed to blag a few shifts with the paramedics when I was a student nurse, some of the stuff was certainly eye opening. 

[Pirate]

You still with the NHS?

[Grumpmeister]

Nah, the training didnt work out. Nowadays I'm an out of work techie although the psychology training has come in handy when dealing with managers  or convincing office numpties that they are loosing the plot

I did think about going back into it but I know I don't have the patience to deal with the system as it is. Most of the cohort I trained with have either left the country, work in private healthcare or have given up on the whole thing and changed careers completely.