‘Managers are bringing tea to us’: inside the 111 service during COVID-19

Stella Quentin is a 111 call handler for the South East Coast ambulance service.
In normal times, the 300 call handlers in Stella’s office take around two to three thousand calls a day. The severity of calls ranges from sore throats and coughs to people who have taken drug overdoses. A 111 call handler has to be ready to deal with whatever is on the other end of the phone.
As COVID-19 has emerged, the volume of calls has doubled, with some days seeing 7,000 calls.
“Normally, it&rsquo