The Department of Health and Ofcom have today announced that a new three-digit number (111) will be piloted in three regions next year.

You might remember this idea from the Next Stage Review, High Quality Care for All: ‘…we should consider options to introduce a new three-digit telephone number to help people find the right local service to meet their urgent, unplanned care needs’

The new number will do three main jobs:

1. Identify immediate life threatening emergencies and transfer callers to 999;
2. Respond to requests for health or service information; and
3. Assess the clinical needs of all other callers and if necessary route them to their local services like GPs  for a face-to-face consultation.

Ofcom have been consulting on the idea this year and their press statement says: “many respondents felt that the number would provide a simple and clear method for accessing those services, thereby reducing consumer confusion and potentially alleviating pressure on the 999/112 emergency services and accident and emergency (A&E) services.”