Our plans to inspect NHS 111 services

1 Jul 2015 01:00 PM

Yesterday we published our provider handbook and other documents to set out how we will inspect and regulate NHS 111 services.

NHS 111 is a telephone-based service that aims to make it easier to access local NHS healthcare services in England. It is used when urgent medical help is required, but it’s not a 999 emergency.

Trained staff ask questions to assess symptoms, then give healthcare advice or direct callers to the local service that can best help.

To develop this inspection approach we have considered feedback from our public consultation, pilot inspections of services and engagement with service providers and other interested groups.

Like the other sectors we regulate, we will inspect NHS 111 services against those areas users tell us matters most to them and assess whether the services are safe, caring, effective, responsive to people’s needs, and well-led. Specific elements include:

• Specialist inspection teams including experts with direct experience of working in 111 or similar services.
• Inspecting at the same time as we inspect other services provided by the provider, for example, ambulance trusts.
• Rating services to help people compare services and highlight where care is outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.