NHS 111 Wales telephone service Phone 111

(If you need an interpreter to Phone NHS 111 Wales, information on how to ask for one is in the next chapter.)

The 111 telephone service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dial 111 on your phone. The service is free from any phone.

You can use NHS 111 Wales for:

• urgent health advice
• Advice about what services to access
• Advice on dental care
• Advice on how to manage an illness or condition
• to access your doctor (GP) when it is closed (out of hours).

Getting through to a call handler

When you phone 111, there will be some recorded messages, and options to choose from.

The first message gives you the choice to speak in Welsh or English. Press 9 for English.

All messages and options will now be in English only.

There will be some messages and options.

If you can understand these messages and options, use your phone keypad to get through to the right part of the service

(You can still ask for an interpreter later.)

If it is difficult to understand the messages and options, stay on the call and wait to be connected.

You will still get through to a call handler if you do not select any options.

(if you do not select any options, It will not delay your call, or make it quicker to speak to someone.)

When your call is answered

When your call is answered, the first person you will speak to is a trained Call Handler.

For the 111 call-handler to know what help you need, they need to know who you are calling about and what has happened.

If you are phoning about someone else, it is best if you are with the person, so we can assess their condition.

Dealing with your call

The call handler may be able to deal with your issue themselves.

They may need to put you through to a Clinical Advisor.

They may need to put you through to a Dental Advisor.

A clinical advisor or dental advisor will phone you back as soon as one is available.

The advisor will need to confirm your name and date of birth. They need to ask to make sure they are speaking to the right person.

They will ask questions to find out what is wrong,

They will give you advice on what to do. This could include information about how to look after yourself, information about local services, or advice to go to your doctor or pharmacy.

If the assessments of the call handler or clinical advisors in 111 indicate that you need an ambulance, they can send one to you.

The Service is very busy

There is an extremely high demand for Clinical Advisors

The service is experiencing delays and your call-back may take longer than normal.

If something changes, and you no longer need us, please call 111 and let us know. This will help us get to someone else more quickly

Please do not call to check if we are delayed, or when we will phone back. This will prevent other calls getting through.

The times of day when we are quieter are:

Monday to Friday before 5pm after 9pm

Saturday and Sunday before 9am after 3pm

If you phone during these times, you do not usually have to wait as long.