A strange one regarding the 119 Covid number

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johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Hi,
Today i got a text message from the NHS inviting me down to get my 1st jab.
It said I could either book on line or call them on 119 to arrange it.
I called the 119 number, and to my horror i got the emergency services.
A voice on the end said Police, Fire or ambulance, which one do you require.
I was taken back and said i was just enquiring about the Covid jab and quickly apologised for dialing the wrong number.
After hanging up i quickly checked the number i had dialed to see if i had wrongly dialed the wrong number.
All i could see on my history was, it saying emergency service number.
OK i must of dialed the wrong number so again i tried double checking i did it correctly.
119 appeared on my phone so i went ahead and made the call, only to end up with the emergency services again.
After some more grovelling apologies i double checked the number again to which it stated Emergency service again.
Looking on the Internet it does state 119 is the correct number for the Covid help line, so i then tried it again on another phone, and this time it went straight through to the Covid helpline.
Phew that was a relief to say the least.
It's all booked now for my jab for tomorrow, but i thought i would just share my experience just incase this happens to anybody else here.
All the best,
Johnny
 

Drago

Legendary Member
999 is the emergency number for normal people.

119 is the real number, accessible only to Freemasons, old Etonians, and members of the Republican party. I would be inclined to keep your discovery quiet for fear of retribution.
 
OP
OP
johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Just been doing a quick Google on this and it appears 119 is an emergency number in parts of Asia and Jamaica. Very strange indeed
 
OP
OP
johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
I used both Mobile phones to try it. The first one sent me to emergency services whilst the other mobile connected me to the Covid section. Did i contact an emergency centre somewhere abroad, Blimey who knows 🤔
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
As far as I know mobile phones will accept any emergency number, from anywhere in the world, and call the local emergency services, for example a US visitor may not know 999 is the UK emergency number, but they would know 911, so if they ring 911, it redirects to 999 in the UK, and vice versa when in the states
 
OP
OP
johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Blimey none of this tech stuff makes sense to me. I'll stick to mending punctures and oiling my chain. At least i understand that sort thing, 🤣🤣
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
I believe that the 119 number was introduced for covid specific help, to relieve the 111 number. My guess is that when the lines into the 119 call centre are at full capacity, they automatically fall back to the 111 call centre.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I believe that the 119 number was introduced for covid specific help, to relieve the 111 number. My guess is that when the lines into the 119 call centre are at full capacity, they automatically fall back to the 111 call centre.
Ok but how did the OP get connected to the 999 call centre?
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Maybe it's because you were given they give to the elderly. What you need to do in that circumstance is ring the switchboard and the lady operator to to be put through to London 119 as a trunk call. That should sort it out for you :okay:
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Maybe it's because you were given they give to the elderly. What you need to do in that circumstance is ring the switchboard and the lady operator to to be put through to London 119 as a trunk call. That should sort it out for you :okay:
I've been put through to an Aberdeen call centre twice, never London.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
While we are talking numbers, does everybody know why we have 999 as the emergency number and not something like 111 that would have been quicker to dial? Well I'll try and explain my understanding.

In the early days, telephones were analogue. Numbers were dialled, or could be tapped on the handset rest. You might think that a lower number (111), would be quicker than dialling or tapping 999, but they found that there were too many miss dials by people dialling higher numbers. It was easy to hesitate when trying to dial a high number and thus allow a 1 to be registered and thus a false call to the emergency services.

So the experts decided that it had to be three nines, as there could be no mistake that the emergency service was required and only genuine emergency calls got through.

Now that phones are digital, it would not matter what number was used as the chance of an unintended number is no longer possible.

Well that's my story. I think it's true as it was told to me on a BT course.

But if you know something different.....
 
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