Thousands of calls made to 111 service in Suffolk over the Christmas Bank Holiday

The group that runs NHS 111 service in Suffolk and North East Essex said they are experiencing 'exceptionally high demand' this winter, due to pressures on the health service.

More than 9,000 calls were made to 111 over the Christmas bank holiday weekend.

The Practise Plus Group, which runs the 111 service, said the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) strike in January is likely to have a 'knock-on effect' on call volumes over the coming month.

Currently the 111 service is 'planning ahead and preparing as much as possible' for the RCN strike which is likely to have a significant impact on services at West Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital.

During the strike action the service will be prioritising the most unwell using agreed clinical criteria.

A spokeswoman for The Practice Plus Group said: "Where NHS services are taking industrial action in January, we expect that this will have a knock-on effect on 111 call volumes."

She added: "In an emergency, patients should still call 999 and for non-emergency matters, can access advice from a pharmacy, NHS 111 online, or call 111 where urgent."

Over the New Year Bank Holiday, NHS advice states that anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or call NHS 111 to be assessed and directed to the right care for them.

When someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, patients should seek emergency care in the normal way, by calling 999 or attending A&E.

RCN members at across Suffolk are set to strike on January 18 and January 19.