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I felt fobbed off

Posted By Ms Princess Poppy

"I felt fobbed off"

About: North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust / NHS 111 (North West)

(as the patient),

I contacted 111 following an urgent triage from my GP regarding a pathological lab result (SHBG level of 180 nmol/L). Instead of a clinical review, I was met with a call handler who was clearly reading from a script and in my view lacked even basic medical literacy.

Despite explaining a complex endocrine crisis and a liver reaction to my current medication, the handler reduced my systemic collapse to a headache. Shockingly, the clinician I spoke to didn't even know what Patchs was—a primary NHS communication tool.

Being fobbed off back to a GP that is already at capacity is not healthcare; it is a violation of duty of care. In my experience, if you have a complex or serious condition, 111 is currently a ticking exercise that fails to recognize urgent pathology. Absolutely dangerous.

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Responses

Response from Olivia Jones, Patient Engagement Officer, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust last month
Olivia Jones
Patient Engagement Officer,
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Submitted on 09/02/2026 at 16:49
Published on Care Opinion at 16:49

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience of contacting NHS 111. I am very sorry to hear about the distress and frustration this caused you.

We recognise how concerning it must have been to seek urgent support following your GP’s triage, only to feel that your symptoms and clinical history were not fully understood.

NHS 111 is intended to ensure patients receive timely and appropriate assessment, using a triage system to determine the most suitable level of care. We are sorry that, on this occasion, you felt your condition was misunderstood and that you did not receive adequate support.

Your feedback raises important issues, which we take very seriously. In order for us to investigate this fully and ensure your concerns are reviewed by the appropriate clinical and operational teams, we would encourage you to contact our Patient Engagement team via talk.tous@nwas.nhs.uk, providing as much detail as possible, including the date and time of your call.

Thank you again for raising these concerns. Feedback such as yours is vital in helping us identify where improvements can be made to ensure patient safety.

Kind regards,

Olivia

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