THE SDLP has called for a dedicated non-emergency phone number to take pressure off the health service in Northern Ireland.
Launching their ‘When Care Calls’ report on Monday, the party point to the benefits of the ’111′ service in England, Scotland and Wales.
At present in Northern Ireland, the Phone First service is available during the day to direct patients to the right care for non-life threatening but urgent cases.
The GP out of hours phone service is also available overnight for urgent medical needs.
The SDLP’s Colin McGrath said it was clear that despite the “incredible efforts of health workers, too many people in Northern Ireland “struggle to know the best route to access care when they need it.”
The SDLP have pointed to the success of the 111 service in Greater Manchester as an example. How would a 111 system work?
Recently visiting Greater Manchester, Mr McGrath said he was able to see how the 111 system handles around two million calls a year for a population of seven million.
Combining call handlers with clinical staff, it uses a triage system to direct patients.
“Crucially, it is fully integrated with a wide range of services, including GP out-of-hours provision, urgent care centres, pharmacy, mental health services, ambulance services and emergency departments,” the SDLP report states.
Around a quarter of patients are directed to self-care, while around half towards primary care services and only “a small proportion” towards EDs or ambulance services.
A key feature is being able to directly book patients into services, rather than just providing advice.
What’s wrong with the current system in Northern Ireland?
Data from the Phone First system in December 2025, showed that 38.5% of patients were not directed to emergency departments.
While this demonstrates how clinical triage over the phone can redirect “a substantial share of demand,” the SDLP say that awareness of Phone First remains limited and many patients still “default to emergency departments.”
This is also made worse by structural challenges like delayed hospital discharges, workforce shortages, difficulties in getting GP appointments and gaps in community care.
While calling the Department of Health’s plan to shift services into the community “essential,” the party says patients need an obvious access point.
What would it cost?
Based on Greater Manchester, which costs around £23m a year for seven million people, the SDLP estimate the price tag for Northern Ireland could be anywhere between £6m to £15m a year.
They add that this would not all be new money as it could integrate existing functions like Phone First, and that the more efficient service would save money over time.
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson, Colin McGrath MLA. PICTURE: LIAM MCBURNEY/PA WIRE