Letter: What Is the Point of Calling 111 if Hospitals Ignore Its Direction

Published on: 26 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 27 Jan, 2025

Frimley Park Hospital (Geograph)

From Paul Robinson

I recently had experience of using the NHS 111 service, who referred me to hospital.

On the Friday after Christmas, I had a kidney procedure performed which went OK. But on Sunday morning, I was in so much pain I called 111 for advice.

After being assessed by them I was told to go to Frimley Park Hospital and see a urology specialist and they gave me an appointment time. I was instructed to report to A & E and tell them I had an appointment with Urology and they would direct me to the Urology Department.

I duly turned up, did as instructed and was told to take a seat. After about 30 mins I was triaged by a nurse to whom I repeated what I had told 111. I was then told to return to my seat to wait. Three hours later I was called by an A & E doctor, who wanted a urine sample.

About 30 mins after that I was told to go to Urology – four hours after my appointment time! Once in a very quiet Urology Department I was treated and released in 20 mins.

I have since complained to the Frimley Park Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) who, after chasing them a couple times, replied with the Emergency Department response of:

“Unfortunately, due to the nature of the emergency department we cannot guarantee a time to be seen as wait times are based on demand and acuity of patients with the most critically unwell seen first.”

What is the point of using NHS 111 and them assessing you as needing to see a specialist department urgently and then go, as directed to the hospital, only to be handled as if you had just walked in off the street?

No wonder A & E waiting times are so long if they duplicate what another medical team has done.