Cwm Taf Morgannwg area residents can quickly check symptoms for variety of conditions on NHS 111 Wales online

The NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker can save patients time by helping them find the right NHS service for treatment.

Symptoms can be quickly checked for a variety of conditions and advice given on the best way to treat them by visiting www.111.wales.nhs.uk which is hosted by the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The way we access NHS services has changed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with more options now becoming increasingly utilised, including the NHS 111 Wales online service which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be used for both health information and advice and to access urgent primary care in Welsh and English.

In a recent YouGov survey, over a half (52%) of residents living across Bridgend, Merthyr and RCT had not even heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker and only 27% had used it during the past 12 months.

According to the YouGov survey, carried out for the Welsh Government’s Help Us Help You campaign, only 58% of residents had heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker. However, 78% said they felt it was important to have access to the service.   

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s Director of Primary Care, Julie Denley, said the research had been conducted to understand levels of awareness across different regions of the NHS services that are available for patients, to make sure they can be seen and treated quicker and better.

“This survey confirms that with all the lockdown restrictions and changes to NHS services over the last year, some people are confused about the best way to get help for any health issues they are concerned about.

“We know that many people have been worried about accessing the NHS for fear of contracting the virus, particularly during peak periods, while others have been put off by the thought that they would be adding to the pressures on our doctors and nurses.

“While the way people can access our services has changed, we want local residents to know that we are very much still here for them. The NHS 111 Wales online symptom tracker should be their first port of call. The website will direct them to whatever healthcare and support they need and can get it safely, often without needing to make a trip to the GP or the emergency department.”

NHS 111 Wales online can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. The way it works is: You answer questions about your symptoms on the website and depending on the situation you will:

1.         Get self-care advice

2.         Be told how to get any medicine you need

3.         Find out what local service can help you

4.         Be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP

5.         Get a face-to-face appointment if you need one

6.         Be given an arrival time if you need to go to A&E – this might mean you spend less time in A&E

For those who don’t have confidence going online to seek advice, there is the NHS 111 Wales phone service. This is also a free service where patients can contact the NHS by dialling 111 to receive advice on the best way to manage their issue or gain further assistance if needed. The bilingual telephone service is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Seventy-eight percent of residents living in Bridgend, Merthyr and RCT had heard of the NHS 111 Wales phone service when asked for the recent YouGov survey but only 16% had used the telephone service during the last 12 months.