Dr Michael Gregory, the NHS England North West Regional Medical Director, recommends the public uses www.111.nhs.uk to get urgent health advice if they have access to the internet.
This is due to 111 phone services, GP practices, and A&E departments seeing high numbers of people contacting them following the festive period.
However, NHS 111 online is not available for children under the age of 5 years old. People looking for urgent medical help for under 5s should use the 111 phone line.
The online service works the same as the 111 phone service
The online service works the same as the 111 phone service and is already popular with people who want quick advice about the best options for getting the care they need.
Services include getting a call back from a trained clinician or nurse, booking an appointment in A&E, or providing advice.
This advice does not apply to 999 services
Dr Gregory said: “The period immediately after Christmas and New Year is an extremely busy time for our 111 health advisors and clinicians, staff working in GP practices, and our doctors and nurses and other health professionals working in our A&Es.
“We were expecting it to be busy but we know that callers are waiting longer to get through on the phone, and visits to A&Es are waiting longer than we would like.
“For this reason, we’d recommend using the online service if you can. You answer the same questions and receive the same advice as calling 111, but it’s likely to be quicker.”
This advice does not apply to 999 services. People should contact 999 services in the case of an emergency health issue such as a heart attack or difficulty breathing.