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NHS 111 received nearly one call a minute from Cambridgeshire residents last week due to coronavirus fears.

There were 8,220 calls to NHS 111 last week from the county in the week ending March 1, up 15 per cent on the week before.

It is also up by two thirds from 5,022 calls in the same week last year.

The massive jump in demand means more callers are having to wait more than a minute to speak to an advisor.

Last week, 46 per cent of calls in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were answered within 60 seconds.

(Image: Cambridge News)

That was down from 54 per cent the week before and 75 per cent in the same week last year.

There was also a big rise in the number of calls being abandoned after at least 30 seconds of waiting - up from 372 in the week to February 23 to 645 in the week ending March 1.

Overall, NHS 111 answered 6,313 calls last week in the area, up from 5,504 a week before.

Most of those given advice last week were recommended a visit to primary or community care like GPs and dentists.

There was a drop in the number being told to go to A&E, down from 432 to 362, or sent an ambulance, down from 637 to 598.

However, there was a rise in the number of callers recommended to not contact another service but given self-care advice, up from 430 to 660 in the week ending March 1.

(Image: Cambridge News)

An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS staff are working round the clock to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, with 111 services dealing with over 120,000 more calls than the same week last year.

“That’s why we’re already recruiting 500 additional initial call responders to answer up to 20,000 more 111 calls every day, with further staffing increases in train, providing a new online service which can provide advice at the touch of a button, and boosting the availability of clinical advice for those who need it.”

Officially called Covid-19, the official NHS advice for those worried about the disease is to wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds.

In addition, you should always wash your hands when you get home or into work and cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.

Always put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards, it also advises.

The symptoms are a cough, a high temperature, and shortness of breath.

If you have been to a high-risk are in the last 14 days or have been in close contact with someone infected, call 111 for advice.