North Shropshire residents who need urgent GP out-of-hours medical help or advice will need to call NHS 111 from July onwards.

From Tuesday, July 3, the current Shropdoc telephone number will be replaced by the 111 service, in line with national policy to provide a consistent, integrated approach to urgent care; but any patients that need to see a clinician out-of-hours will still be seen by a local GP.

Dr Russell Muirhead, chairman of Shropdoc, who has committed to support a smooth transition for patients across the patch, said: “We are working with Care UK, the organisation that provides the NHS111 service, to ensure that the integration of our two services continues to provide a safe and quality service for our patients.”

Sarah-Jane Graham, National Director Integrated Urgent Care, Care UK added: "The NHS 111 service is now offered across the whole of England.

"This is the number people are encouraged to call if they require urgent medical advice and it is not an emergency. It is free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"NHS 111 is much more than a helpline - if you're worried about an urgent medical concern, you can call 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser.

"Depending on the situation, the 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist or even a GP, and can arrange face-to-face appointments should you need one."