Dom Joly has been putting his pranking talents to good use in a new NHS campaign launched today to raise public awareness of the non emergency 111 helpline this winter.
The TV comic has been filming around Brighton and Hove and in the Sussex for the not QUITE an emergency film, in which he plays practical jokes on members of the public.
A production assistant from his undercover crew, Spirit Media, attempted to fool Brighton and Hove News earlier this month by tweeting us a clip of Dom pretending to be a businessman calling 999 for a hangover at a bus stop outside Brighton Station.
And today, NHS Brighton and Hove released the full video on YouTube.
While the film has been made to make online audiences smile this winter, there’s a serious message behind the pranking, as Dom Joly explains:
“We used real-life examples of non-emergency conditions people have gone to A&E or called 999 for – a toothache, a blister, an insect bite and even a hangover.
“While it was obvious the people I spoke to didn’t think my plight was a 999 emergency, hardly anyone suggested calling 111 instead. One guy even suggested calling 999 to find out the right number to call – he knew a non-emergency number existed but couldn’t remember it.”
National research carried out for the NHS has revealed low public awareness of NHS 111 across the country. Just 12% of adults were found to have a spontaneous awareness of the helpline; 35% had never heard of it; and only 19% felt they knew a fair amount/a lot about what the service offers.
Patient research conducted earlier this year by NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – one of the CCGs in Sussex launching Dom’s ‘not QUITE an emergency’ film today – has also revealed high levels of unawareness and misperceptions about 111 among patients waiting in local A&E departments.
Chief Clinical Officer for Brighton and Hove CCG, Dr Christa Beesley, explains: “Last winter, local research found that patients waiting in A&E departments with minor conditions didn’t want to be in hospital and felt they shouldn’t be there – but they didn’t know who else to turn to when their GP surgery was closed or unable to offer them an immediate appointment.
“Those who had heard of NHS 111 were unclear on how it can refer people on to alternatives to A&E, such as walk-in clinics, pharmacies and out-of-hours GP services. Many thought it was just an advice line, operating only during evenings and weekends, when in fact it is available 24hrs a day, every day of the year, and can refer patients on for urgent prescriptions at their local pharmacy, telephone and face-to-face consultations with a GP, and even a home visit by a doctor or nurse.
“We know that 1 in 3 visits to local A&E are for conditions that could be dealt with outside of hospital. With Dom Joly’s help, our ‘not QUITE an emergency’ campaign has been designed to reach out to local people this winter – especially those aged under 35, who we know use local A&E the most and have the lowest awareness of NHS 111.”
