NHS 111 Islington CCG Patient Participation Group 20 June 2013

About the service NHS 111 is a new non-emergency telephone service when people need medical help or advice, but it isn’t a 999 emergency Replaces NHS Direct as the single number to call for urgent care advice Staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced clinicians NHS 111 gives healthcare advice and directs patients to the right local service e.g. a local GP, another doctor, urgent care centre, community nurses, emergency dentist or late-opening pharmacy If it is an emergency, an ambulance is despatched immediately without the need for any further assessment NHS 111 is staffed around the clock, 365 days a year. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free

When to call NHS 111 Residents should call NHS 111 if: –they think they may need urgent care and their GP surgery is closed –they don't think it can wait for an appointment with their GP, or –they don't know who to call for medical help. If someone has a life threatening condition (i.e. serious injury, heart attack, stroke) it is important to call 999 immediately For less urgent health needs, residents should still contact their GP, local pharmacist or dentist.

Launch of NHS 111 Service launched on 12 March 2013 following a ‘soft launch’ in February which allowed calls to build up gradually Service is provided by London Central & West Unscheduled Care Collaborative (LCW) - an established provider of unscheduled care in the inner North West London Local service developed jointly with CCGs and GPs. Extensive engagement with stakeholders in the 18 months prior to launch Call operators undergo extensive and continuous training – 3 weeks’ pathway training plus additional training. Ongoing call coaching is provided as part of their induction and all undergo formal assessment by an accredited trainer.

How 111 is performing locally NHS 111 is providing a good service for local residents and performance is continuing to improve. There are around 400 calls per day to NHS 111 from residents across Islington, Camden Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. Latest data shows that around 93% of these calls are answered within 60 seconds. On average, ambulances are dispatched for 10% of calls (a good indicator of service quality) and only 2% of calls are ‘abandoned’ where a caller hangs up before speaking to an operator. All NHS 111 services experienced an increase demand following the switchover from NHS Direct’s 0845 service, however challenges are more pronounced outside of London which has attracted media attention. LCW and commissioners are closely monitoring performance of NHS 111 services locally.

Have you used NHS 111 locally? We are keen to hear about your experience of NHS 111 services locally. Patients can give their views by telephoning 111 or via