Hundreds of thousands of people are getting the medical help they need using 111 services every month in the North East and Yorkshire, new NHS data shows.

Around 100,000 111 Online sessions were completed and a further 220,000 calls were answered by the 111 phone service in the region during the month of October.

These stats come as the NHS launches its annual 111 campaign, which encourages people to ‘Help Us Help You’ by getting the help they need from the convenience of their own homes ahead of winter.

The national campaign has started rolling out online and on catch-up TV and will look to encourage even more people who need urgent medical help to use 111 to get assessed and directed to the right place for their needs.

The 111 Online service has now been fully integrated into the NHS App, which has been downloaded an incredible 4 MILLION times by people registered with a GP practice in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS 111 services can assess and direct people to the most appropriate local service, including urgent treatment centres, GP practices, and consultations with a pharmacist. And, if needed, it can arrange a call-back from a nurse, doctor, or paramedic.

It is estimated up to two-fifths of A&E attendances are avoidable or could be better treated elsewhere, with the NHS campaign highlighting different care options – not only are they more convenient for patients but can also help relieve pressure on already busy emergency departments.

Dr Yvette Oade CBE, Medical Director for NHS England in the North East and Yorkshire, said: “It’s encouraging to see that so many people are using NHS 111 in the comfort of their own homes, often avoiding an unnecessary trip to A&E.

“The NHS is there whenever people need care. Over the winter months, where pressure on services is at its highest, anyone in need of help for a life-threatening emergency can continue to get help at their A&E or via 999, but with millions of people in our region using NHS 111 services in the past year alone, it’s clear that there are safe alternatives for less severe issues.”

The NHS App offers an easy way to access NHS 111 from your smart phone. Simply log in, scroll down to ‘Check your symptoms’, the App will check if you want to change any details, such as your location, and then follow the instructions in the App. It’s helpful to make sure your NHS App is up-to-date with your details as this will save you time when you feel unwell or worried and want to access advice. A step by step guide to getting started with the NHS App is available on the NHS website.

Newly published data also shows NHS staff are managing record demand across emergency care ahead of winter, with new data showing Type 1 A&Es and ambulance services experienced their busiest month this year in October.

Winter preparations have been well underway since the Urgent and Emergency Care recovery plan was published earlier this year, with measures to help boost capacity and resilience across the NHS, including care ‘traffic control’ centres to speed up discharge, additional ambulance hours and extra beds. 

Through 111.nhs.uk or via the NHS App people can:

• find out how to get the right healthcare in their area, including whether they need to see a GP or seek urgent care
• get advice on self-care
• get a call back from a nurse, doctor or other trained health professional if they need it.

People should call 111 to speak to someone if they need to:

• Discuss complex medical problems
• Get medical advice for a child under five.

You can watch the TV advert online. It tells people ‘If you need urgent medical help, use 111 to get assessed and directed to the right place for you. Call, go online or use the NHS App.’