26.06.15
Out of hours care to be integrated with NHS 111
Out of hours care will be integrated with NHS 111 to “ensure seamless operation” for at least half of the population by 2017 as part of the urgent and emergency care review.
Dr Caron Morton, co-chair of the Urgent and Emergency Care National Steering Group, gave a presentation at the Commissioning Show yesterday outlining what to expect from the review between now and 2017.
Strengthening clinical involvement in 111 and 999 was a key priority of the group. By 2017 patients ringing these services will have access to full clinical triage and 111 will be able to book urgent GP appointments. It will also be able to fast track patients to the relevant clinician over the phone.
A 111 digital platform will also be integrated into the NHS Choices website.
The aim is to increase the proportion of calls to 111 and 999 that are resolved through Hear and Treat, rather than having to dispatch an ambulance or have the patient attend an urgent care centre.
Dr Morton said that for those who do need to visit an urgent care centre, however, by September 2017 they will have an allocated appointment slot and will not need to queue.
Another major development is a plan to roll out a service directory to everyone in the urgent care pathway. Dr Morton says this will be integrated into tablets and mobile phones and will allow urgent care workers to direct the patient properly through the system.
A key part of this is a change to referrals.
“Within the urgent care pathway, wherever you are, you can refer directly through to the specialist services that are needed – you don’t have to stop at the next level above you,” Dr Morton said.
Another big focus of the work on urgent and emergency care has been in the area of mental health. Dr Morton said that the aim is to make sure that most mental health provision in a crisis happens in the patient’s home.
The work of Dr Morton and the steering group is taking forward Sir Bruce Keogh’s Review of the Urgent and Emergency Care system, presented at last year’s conference. It highlighted five key elements for change in the delivery of urgent and emergency care services:
- To provide better support for self-care.
- To help people with urgent care needs get the right advice in the right place, first time.
- To provide highly responsive urgent care services outside of hospital, so people no longer choose to queue in A&E.
- To ensure that those people with serious or life-threatening emergency care needs receive treatment in centres with the right facilities and expertise in order to maximise chances of survival and a good recovery.
- To connect all urgent and emergency care services together so the overall system becomes more than just the sum of its parts.
NHE is the media partner of the Commissioning Show. For further coverage see the July/August issue of the magazine.