Roll-out of 111 telephone hotline causes hospitals severe problems

Ongoing problems with the new 111 urgent care hotline are contributing to the “severe pressure” on emergency departments, the president of the College of Emergency Medicine, Mike Clancy, has warned.

He told the BMJ that reported failings in the new system must be dealt with to ensure that patients are seen safely in the right setting. He said that this would help relieve the pressure on emergency departments, and enable them to concentrate on patients who really need emergency care.

Chair of the House of Commons health select committee Stephen Dorrell pledged to investigate the issue,1 after further reports of seriously ill patients facing lengthy waits when dialling 111, and patients being inappropriately transferred …