Commenting on the launch of three new pilots for a new non-emergency healthcare number, Ambulance Service Network chair Heather Strawbridge said:

“A new phone number for people with urgent but not life-threatening health problems could help transform patient care and is something the Ambulance Service Network had been proposing for some time.

"111 would be easy to remember, simple to use, and help stop people feeling confused about who they should ring when they need help.

“As we made clear in our consultation response to Ofcom, 111 must be just the front end of a much better system of healthcare which ensures patients get the right services, in the right place, at the right time.

"We need services to work together more effectively and treat more patients in the community or at home when it is safe to do so.

"111 should therefore be the 'icing on the cake' of much wider changes to the emergency and urgent healthcare system so we can provide a range of urgent services 24/7 including GPs in and out of hours, walk-in and urgent care centres, minor injuries units, social care and mental health services and community nursing teams."