“Try NHS 111 online first this winter,” NHS advises patients

This winter the NHS is running a new campaign to encourage people to get to the help they need by using the NHS 111 online service.

The NHS 111 online service can assess and direct people to the most appropriate local service, including urgent treatment centres, GP practices, and consultations with a pharmacist. And, if needed, it can arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic.

NHS 111 online is an easy and convenient way to get urgent help for a wide range of health problems. You can get assessed and directed to the right local service in as little as 90 seconds from the comfort of your own home.

A recent survey showed that 84% of users of the 111 online service found it easy or very easy to use.

Using the NHS 111 online service could save you a trip to A&E. It is estimated that up to two-fifths of A&E attendances are avoidable or could be better treated elsewhere. People should still call 999 and go to A&E in an emergency – when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

The NHS 111 online service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Go to 111.nhs.uk to get assessed and directed to:

• the right healthcare in your area; or
• a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic; or
• advice on self-care.

People should call 111 to speak to someone if they need to:

• discuss complex medical problems;
• discuss worries about a long-term condition; or
• get medical advice for a child under five.

If you need medical help fast, use NHS 111 online to get assessed and directed to the right place for you – 111.nhs.uk

Key facts and statistics

The festive season is a particularly busy time for NHS 111 – last year there was a 99% increase people using 111.nhs.uk during the Christmas Bank Holiday with over 40,000 visits on Boxing Day alone.

New survey data reveals:

• While almost half of respondents (48%) had used the NHS 111 phone service, only 9% had used the online service.  Nearly a third (31%) of respondents had never used either 111 service.
• Respondents were most likely to use the NHS 111 phone service for a medical concern (55%), followed by their GP (46%) and then the NHS 111 Online service (40%).
• Almost 2 in 5 (39%) didn’t know that NHS 111 Online can assess and direct you to the right care in as little as 90 seconds.
• When asked which services they thought NHS 111 Online could direct them to:
  • A third (33%) didn’t know NHS 111 Online could direct you to A&E.
  • More than half (57%) didn’t know that NHS 111 Online could direct you to a pharmacist.

The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 2,001 respondents aged 16+ in England between 2 and 7 December 2022. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.