17.02.12
NHS 111 being ‘rushed through’
The Government must delay the roll-out of NHS 111, both the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Ambulance Service Network have urged.
The new non-urgent NHS phone number needs a more flexible deadline for implementation, they suggest, as the BMA wrote to the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley outlining a number of serious concerns.
These include the need for adequate time to evaluate the pilots, procurement of providers for the service being ‘rushed through’ in non-pilot areas without careful reference to the pilots. Additionally the decisions are not been driven by clinical commissioners who will ultimately be responsible for NHS 111 in their area.
Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee, said: “GPs have been telling us for quite some time about problems with the way the NHS 111 is being rolled out and the wider impact it could have on the health service.
“For example, in Shropshire GPs are worried that patients will actually receive lower quality care as the clinicians who triage all calls to their out-of-hours provider are to be replaced by non-clinicians when NHS 111 takes over. If there was a more flexible deadline in place then local commissioners would have time to work out a solution with NHS 111 so that this option could be kept for their area.
“The results of the pilots are due to be published imminently and we are worried that the strict deadline in place at the moment means lessons from these won’t be learned and mistakes will just be repeated.
“If there isn’t a pause then the Government could end up implementing something which doesn’t work to the benefit of all patients, which could unnecessarily overburden the ambulance service and GP surgeries, reduce the quality of existing out-of-hours services and ultimately cost the taxpayer a lot of money.
“More flexibility would allow clinical commissioners to get properly involved in how NHS 111 is being rolled out in their area, making sure it is sensitive to local need. GPs are happy to work with NHS 111 to iron out any problems, but they need time in order to do that.”
Ambulance Service Network director Jo Webber agreed: “The timeframes for putting NHS 111 in place are currently just too tight to be sure it will work in a consistent way across the country.
“NHS 111 has massive potential to improve care for patients as it can put them in touch with the most appropriate service quickly. But it will only realise this potential if providers of services and those who commission them come together in a co-ordinated and strategic way to make it work.
“A headlong rush to implementation will not necessarily benefit patients. It is vital to have buy-in first from clinical staff and future clinical commissioners.
“This takes time to develop and the initial results from the pilots suggest that NHS 111 is really delivering where strong working relationships have been in place for some time.”
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