NHS 24 Winter Planning 2011/ 2012 Managing the Risk  

Background Average 8 day festive call demand for the last three years = 81,243 calls Typical weekly volume = 27,000 28th December 2010 Call demand of 14,503 was the highest since New Year holiday period in 2007 Busiest period between 9.15am and 10.15am, with just under 1,900 calls – peaked at 40 calls per minute

Winter Planning Our Approach Winter Planning commenced July 2011 NHS 24 adopts inclusive approach Winter Planning Team established July 2011 – convenes fortnightly Full representation from all internal departments

Increasing Capacity & Efficiency Increased Patient Contacts Continuous improvement of the Service Delivery model Access to the service Categorisation of the calls Real time deployment of resource Use of a full range of clinical professionals

Increasing Capacity & Efficiency Call Operator role being invoked to provide additional operational resilience Recruitment intake schedules for Nurse Practitioners and Call Handlers Confirm pre-prioritised calls with Health Board Partners

Resource Planning Process starts in August Staff notified of suspension of normal service rotas for festive period Confirm pre-prioritised calls with Health Board Partners No Annual Leave authorised All staff work 6/8 key dates All seating capacity utilised on days of highest patient activity

Health Information Services Online Channel of Delivery 3 key websites host variety of Health Information www.nhs24.com www.nhsinform.co.uk www.careinfoscotland.co.uk 3 key websites host variety of Health Information to support the public with symptomatic and non symptomatic health care needs during the winter period. www.nhs24.com www.nhsinform.co.uk www.careinfoscotland.co.uk

Information Technology & Telephony British Telecom proactive and timely response Review Winter Readiness and Checklist Plan Request technology suppliers… carry out winter health checks report on their findings initiate corrective action plans

Partner Health Boards NHS 24 works closely with all Partners across Health and Social Care to ensure effective delivery of core services during this peak period. To facilitate this NHS 24 ensures active and full participation in - Emergency Access Delivery Team SGHD National Meetings Each ADON works with their aligned territorial Health Board

Scottish Ambulance Service Co-location with SAS in Cardonald and East Centres facilitates effective partnership working and planning NHS 24 and SAS experience different peaks in their call arrival patterns – maximising opportunities to work together to enhance patient journey A joint NHS 24/ SAS Operations group meets on regular basis

Conclusion Winter Period constitutes the busiest time of year for NHS 24 Paramount that we plan appropriately in order to deliver a safe, efficient and effective service Tried and tested business model is our approach - maintaining a vigilant focus on our preparedness