Sick should check symptoms online rather than calling 111, top doctor says

Sick people should check symptoms online instead of calling the congested 111 phone line, a leading doctor has said.

according to dr Sir Frank Atherton, the Welsh Chief Medical Officer, people with minor medical conditions can find most of the information they need on the NHS service’s website.

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He said call centers were overwhelmed by the flu and the Covid tsunami.

dr Sir Frank told the BBC: “We advise people to go to the website first – the 111 website – where they can access a lot of information that they can navigate in the best way to manage their condition.”

His plea comes as doctors warn this winter will be the worst on record for emergency room waits.

The President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Adrian Boyle, warned: “The gallows joke about it now is that 24 hours in the ER is not a documentary, it’s a way of life.

“These long delays are detrimental to people – they are ill and need hospital but are waiting in an emergency room corridor. It’s undignified and it’s dangerous.”

Senior physicians are also urging the sick to carefully evaluate whether they need emergency care before going to the emergency room.

Several NHS trusts have already reported critical incidents as their services come under unprecedented pressure.