NHS 111

NHS 111 is a free-to-call single non-emergency number medical helpline operating in England and Scotland. The service is part of each country's National Health Service and has replaced the telephone triage and advice services provided by NHS Direct, NHS24 and local GP out-of-hours services. The transition was completed in England during February 2014 with Scotland following during April 2014.NHS Direct Wales continues to use the 0845 46 47 number.

The service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year and is intended for 'urgent but not life-threatening' health issues and complements the long-established 999 emergency telephone number for more serious matters, although 111 operators are able to dispatch ambulances when appropriate using the NHS Pathways triage system.

NHS Direct Wales continues to operate via 0845 4647. The health service of Northern Ireland will be able to introduce its own similar service using the 111 number if it chooses to do so.

During 2007, the Department of Health's Our NHS, Our Future report identified confusion surrounding access to certain NHS services in England and suggested the introduction of a national, three-digit number for out-of-hours healthcare services could help simplify the situation. Arrangements to identify and secure a suitable non-emergency number for England began in July 2009, with the number 111 allocated by telecommunications regulator Ofcom in December of that year.

In late August 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government proposed that 111 could replace the existing NHS Direct (084546 47) telephone helpline in England. This suggestion proved controversial as it was seen by some critics as a "cut-price" replacement, due to likely replacement of NHS Direct with NHS 111 telephone advisors lacking professional training in healthcare. Although then-Health Secretary Andrew Lansley denied plans to close NHS Direct in England, explaining that existing staff would provide the new service and that only the phone number would change, it was announced in October 2013 that NHS Direct would be closed down in 2014.

...
Wikipedia