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Patients are told to call NHS 111 before going to the ER in the NHS winter changeover in an attempt to prevent overcrowding in hospital waiting areas
- The 111 First plan is aimed at reducing long wait times in Britain’s A&E rooms
- It is currently being tested in Plymouth and Cornwall, and will be expanded soon.
- The NHS spokesperson said people would not be turned away without an appointment.
- He said that those who need urgent attention will receive a space within a matter of ours.
Patients are urged to call 111 before going to the accident and emergency departments to help regulate the number of people in hospital waiting rooms.
Under the new scheme, those who need care for a serious but not life-threatening condition will be able to book an appointment at the nearest emergency department to avoid a long wait at the hospital.
The 111 First program is intended to schedule spaces in A&E to help maintain social distancing in hospitals, or direct patients to other services such as a family doctor or pharmacist.
It is currently being tested in Plymouth and Cornwall, and will roll out to other parts of the country in the coming months.
The proposals will be presented by NHS England in time for this winter to avoid the usual scenes of overcrowding in A&E units, which could trigger major coronavirus outbreaks.
The NHS will begin implementing its 111 First scheme, which will mean that those in need of care for a serious but non-life threatening condition can book an appointment at the nearest A&E. People are urged to stay away from emergency rooms during winter in an attempt to control a possible spike in coronavirus cases (hospital file photo)
A spokesperson for NHS England stressed that those who did not book an appointment would not be turned away if they showed up at A&E.
“It reduces overcrowding at A&E but still allows you to get the help you need,” he said.
The spokesperson said: “(NHS 111) staff can now book people in need for face-to-face appointments with local doctors or arrange home visits.
“As the NHS prepares for winter, we are further enhancing that offering with more doctors and better links with local emergency departments.”
He added that those who need urgent care will receive a space in a matter of hours, while in serious cases 111 operators will send an ambulance to take the patient immediately.
The service must launch a major public information campaign in the coming months to inform the public where and how to access the care they need.
A pilot test for a similar ‘phone first’ ranking system was launched last month at the Cardiff and Vale University Board of Health.
Walk-ins and emergency admissions to England’s hospitals fell dramatically in the first months of closure.
Data released by NHS England shows that 0.9 million A&E assists were recorded in April 2020, 57% less than the 2.1 million in April 2019.
Emergency admissions to hospital emergency departments in England also showed a sharp drop: 39% from 535,226 in April 2019 to 326,581 in April 2020.
It was the lowest of any calendar month since current records began in August 2010.
Health officials became so concerned about the fall that many NHS foundations urged people to attend if they needed urgent care not related to Covid.
Walk-ins and emergency admissions to England’s hospitals fell dramatically in the first months of closure, and experts worry that if messages about the new scheme are not handled properly, the public, particularly the elderly. Stoics, you might be deterred from seeking help in an emergency
But experts worry that if messages are not handled correctly, the public, particularly the stoic elderly, could be deterred from seeking help in an emergency.
The King’s Fund think tank called on NHS chiefs to ensure that changes do not hinder patients’ access to care.
Speaking last month, King’s Fund’s Siva Anandaciva said: ‘Nobody wants to see a return to the days of overcrowded A&E departments, so looking for new ways to make the system work better and more efficiently for patients and the staff is the right thing to do. ‘
But he added: “It is vital that there is compelling evidence from the pilots that these changes do not make it difficult for some patients to access the care they need, when they need it.”
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, representing 23 colleges and faculties, added: “The bottom line is how this is communicated to patients. We have to earn the public’s trust. ‘
