NHS-111 Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin number switch

The NHS 111 service will replace the current out-of-hours GP telephone access service provided by Shropdoc in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in line with national policy to provide a consistent, integrated approach to urgent care; but any patients that need to see a clinician out-of-hours will still be seen by a local GP or other appropriate clinician. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions. 

Q. Why does the telephone number in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin for urgent out-of-hours healthcare advice and support need to change?

A. There is a national mandate to use NHS 111 and this brings Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin in line with the rest of the country.

 Q. Is the whole GP out-of-hours service transferring to NHS 111?

A. No, only the call handling and assessment of clinical need formerly undertaken by the out-of-hours services will transfer to 111. Face-to-face appointments, GP telephone consultations and mobile visits will continue to be provided by the local out-of-hours provider.

Q. What will happen if I forget to call NHS 111 and I call the Shropdoc number instead?

A. If you call the current Shropdoc number, you will hear a message and be asked to press 1 if you are calling from England and 2 if you are calling from Wales. Your call will then be passed onto the appropriate organisation to help you.

Q. What will happen if I call my GP practice?

A. If you call your GP practice outside normal opening hours, you will hear a message directing you to call either the NHS 111 service for England or an alternative if calling from Wales. If you call within normal opening hours, you will be able to speak to practice receptionists as normal.

Q. What does NHS 111 do?

A. NHS 111 is the free, national telephone number, available 24/7 365 days a year for anyone who has an urgent healthcare need when their GP practice or other health services are closed. It’s the same number for people to call wherever they are in England. It also means that all patients have easier access to clinical advice and support, including if they have a dental, pharmacy or mental health problem when the normal health services they would use are not available.

Q. When should I call NHS 111?

A. You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation. Call 111 if:

• you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call
• you need health information or reassurance about what to do next.

Q. What will happen when I dial 111 after 17 July?

A. It will be different to when you called Shropdoc. You’ll speak to a highly trained advisor. They will ask you a series of questions to determine your symptoms so they can direct you to the best place to get the right help and care.

You might be asked questions that you think are not related to the health issue you have called about, but please be patient as they need to rule out any other conditions that you may not be aware of. This will also help the advisor get a more detailed picture about your health problem so they can direct you to the right care.

Depending on what your call is about, these questions may take around 10 minutes as a health issue may not be straightforward.

 Q. What action can the health advisor take to help me?

A. Once they have run through the questions with you there are a number of actions the health advisor may take:

• If your condition is life-threatening they can immediately send an emergency ambulance
• Pass you to a clinician, such as a GP, nurse, paramedic, dental nurse or mental health nurse for a more detailed telephone assessment and specific advice
• Provide information on self care, which is advice on what you can do to treat and help common medical conditions and complaints
• Advise you where to get medical help
• Refer you onto the out-of-hours GP service for a face-to-face appointment

 Q. Is it only call centre staff working in the NHS 111 service?

A. In addition to fully-trained health advisors who use a nationally approved clinical decision support system, there are a range of clinical staff working in the NHS 111 service as part of the Clinical Assessment Service (CAS). This team includes GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, specialist mental health and dental nurses, pharmacists and paramedics who you will be able to speak where appropriate.

 Q. What does the NHS 111 clinical assessment service do?

A. The NHS 111 clinical assessment service (CAS) provides advanced clinical assessment to patients who are assessed by the health advisor as needing to speak to a clinician. This includes advice from a range of clinicians to ensure patients receive the right advice and care as early as possible.

Q. What happens if I call NHS 111 and it’s an emergency?

A. If you call NHS 111, the health advisor will find out from you by asking questions if the situation is an emergency and if it is, they will organise for an ambulance to be sent to you straightaway.

Q. Can I access urgent healthcare advice any other way than contacting NHS 111?

A. Yes, during normal working hours you can contact your GP surgery or other healthcare service which you may have been given a number to call. You can also use the free Ask NHS app which has a symptom checker and can signpost you to the most appropriate service according to your symptoms.

Q. I am registered with a Shropshire GP Practice, but live just over the border in Wales – who do I call

A. NHS 111 is not currently available in Powys although there are plans for it to be introduced later this year. For those patients living in Wales, who are registered with a Shropshire GP Practice, please continue to use the Shropdoc number of 0333 222 6655 until NHS 111 is launched in Powys.

Q. What’s “integrated urgent care”?

A. Integrated urgent care is a one-stop-shop for urgent but non-emergency care and links all aspects of urgent care including NHS 111, out-of-hours GP services and urgent but not emergency ambulance services. In the West Midlands, this covers 16 CCGs and is managed by a lead commissioner, Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG.