• increasing NHS 111 capacity
• ensuring the technology will allow the NHS 111 team to book an arrival time slot in the relevant emergency department, and
• increasing the availability of alternatives to a visit the emergency department, including same-day emergency care
Dr Mark Shenton, a GP with Suffolk Primary Care, said: “With the traditional winter pressures and additional demands as a result of COVID-19 placed on our local NHS services, never before has it been so important to direct patients to the most appropriate services for their needs. “Think 111 First has already been successfully trialled in other parts of the country. In these areas, there has been a drop in the number of people going to emergency departments freeing up capacity for those people who really do need these services.
We are confident that Suffolk and north east Essex will experience similar success."