Prime Minister and Health
Secretary announce new commitments on 24/7 NHS care
If you think you
might need emergency help, call 999. For all other urgent health
care needs there is 111
The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will
today announce that patients will be able to access the NHS 24/7
through the new free to call NHS ‘111’ service – the number to
call for all non-emergency NHS care and advice.
They will announce that if you need to see a GP urgently, the NHS
111 service will make sure this happens. Similarly, if you need to
see a nurse or need an urgent home visit in the middle of the
night, NHS 111 will organise that.
They will also reveal that NHS 111 content will be available
online, enabling people to access health information, a directory
of local services and check their symptoms, as well as being able
to connect directly to a 111 call adviser to assess the help they
need. The intention is also to launch a mobile phone application
offering the same services.
The NHS 111 service will even allow GPs the option of linking
their own booking systems to the new service, allowing their
patients to book an urgent appointment with their local GP through 111.
The service will be available to over 10 million people across
the country by April 2012. It will be free to call and give
patients much more choice and control in a genuinely 24/7 NHS: no
more confusion over where to turn day or night; no more impersonal
answer machines and no more waiting for call-backs.
The Prime Minister said:
“I believe people should get the care they need, when and where
they need it. However, too many people are confused about what is
available to them or how best to get it, especially at night or if
they are away from home.
“That’s why we are introducing NHS 111. The new service will make
sure callers can access the care and advice that is right for
them, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Andrew Lansley said:
“The new 111 service will mean patients can access the whole of
the NHS through just one simple number.
“This marks another important step in modernising the NHS and
giving patients greater control and choice over their healthcare.”
Dr Clare Gerada, Chair of the Royal College of General
Practitioners, said:
“NHS 111, as a single point of access for patients with urgent
care needs, with a memorable telephone number linked to an up to
date directory of services, is a major step forward. Not only will
callers to the service be advised on what to do but also be
directed to the appropriate local service to address their need
consistently. However, patients should be aware that this is not a
replacement for the current system and that they can continue to
call their GP practice as normal.
“Having a live directory of services will also be of benefit to
NHS staff including GPs, allowing them to more easily access local
services for their patients. NHS Pathways, which is the suite of
clinical content that underpins the current NHS 111 pilots, has
been developed by GPs so that it is relevant for the NHS. The NHS
111 service as a commissioning tool will no doubt also provide
important information to help re-design local services so that
they are more responsive to patients' needs.”
- ENDS -
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. For further information please contact Department of Health
press office on 020 7210 5221
2. NHS 111 will be free to call and available 24 hours a day, 365
days a year.
3. Dialling 111 will get you through to a team of highly-trained
call advisers, supported by experienced nurses. They will ask you
questions to assess your symptoms and direct you straightaway to
the service that is best able to meet your needs, taking into
account your location, the time of day and the capacity of local
services. It will also offer you an improved telephone experience,
by referring you directly to the appropriate service and
eliminating, as far as possible, the need for “call backs”. If you
are assessed as needing an ambulance one will be despatched, just
as quickly as if you had dialled 999.
4. The NHS 111 service, currently available in County Durham and
Darlington, Nottingham City, Lincolnshire and Luton, will be
rolled out in the Isle of Wight and Chesterfield and surrounding
areas before Christmas.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk