South Central Ambulance Service 111 call-wait cut to two minutes

Last winter, average call wait times to 111 reached 40 minutes

An ambulance service says the average time patients typically wait for a 111 call to be answered fell to "just over two minutes" in September this year.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said it faces "a significant increase in calls" to its 999 and NHS 111 services during the winter months.

Last winter, average wait times for 111 calls reached a high of 40 minutes.

The service has since trained more call handlers and clinicians, including GPs, to help reduce 111 response times.

Assistant director of operations Paul Jefferies urged people to "make the right call" when choosing between dialling 999 and the NHS 111 service.

SCAS, which covers Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, said high demand over winter was driven by cold weather exacerbating long-standing health conditions, as well as the proliferation of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Mr Jefferies said the winter months always brought "additional challenges" for the NHS as whole and urged the public to think carefully before choosing which service to call.

"We have been working hard for a number of months to ensure we're ready for winter, but we need the public to help us by making the right call when it comes to any emergency or urgent health needs," he said."You should only call 999 if you, or someone you're with, is suffering a serious or life-threatening emergency.

"This will ensure that staff in our control rooms, and out on the road, can be available for patients who need our help immediately."

SCAS said 72% of calls to NHS 111 were answered within 120 seconds in September, with an average answer time of of 2:07 minutes.

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