Wales 111 line can help end patient 'confusion'

A single telephone number - aimed at giving patients easier access to the NHS - will be available across Wales in around three years time.

The 111 service has been trialled in Swansea, Bridgend and Carmarthenshire with claims of "phenomenal" feedback.

An independent review says demand at hospital emergency units has fallen and more ambulances have been freed up.

But there has been a warning that 111 is not a "golden bullet" to solve NHS pressures.

The 111 service combines the NHS Direct Wales advice line for non-999 health calls with the out-of-hours GP service.

Richard Bowen, programme director for Wales 111, said it was about ending complications and confusion for patients in where to get help when it was not an emergency.