As per recent reports, it has been revealed that NHS will be launching a new helpline number 111 by April next year, so as to help people, who are in need of urgent care. However, this number will not deal with emergency cases.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAMB) has been proposed to be under a new contract, in which it will be responsible for providing people in Surrey with non-emergency transport facility. This contract has been handed over to SECAMB by NHS Surrey and Surrey County Council

It has been recovered that this SECAMB will be liable for the proper functioning of the 111 helpline number, which has been introduced to decrease the pressure of previously used 999 helpline.

The number will be assisted with experts, who will guide the patients regarding the steps that they need to take, so as to provide themselves with medical treatment. This might include sending an ambulance to them, or assisting them with a nurse or fixing an appointment with a GP in out-of-hours. The contract is expected to save an estimated £620,000 per year.

SECAMB's chief executive Paul Sutton said, "It has always been our intention to be the single point of success for patients needing emergency or urgent care".