The 111 service will integrate two services that are currently provided by different parts of the NHS in Wales – namely NHS Direct Wales and the out-of-hours service when your own surgery is closed. The introduction of a simple, free, memorable three-digit number has been planned in NHS Wales for a number of years. We know people sometimes find it hard to know which service to contact and when, so introducing a free-to-call number will make it easier not just to access urgent care, but also health information and advice if you are not sure about what to do. It will also help ensure our Emergency Unit and emergency ambulance services are used only for those patients who need them in a life-threatening emergency.