Issue - meetings
The 111 Service
Meeting: 25/04/2013 - Health and Wellbeing Board (Item 6)
6 The 111 Service (April Peberdy)
The role of the new 111 service in West Berkshire
Minutes:
Lesley Wyman updated Board on the progress with implementing the new 111 Service. Ms Wyman explained that typically, faced with an often confusing array of services, patients tended to visit their GP unless they were directed elsewhere by a health professional. Directing out of hours enquiries by triaging could also help to reduce waiting times by ensuring that callers were directed to the most appropriate services.
This had led to the planned implementation of this new IT system that provided a directory of services, linked to the providers that could be accessed by patients. It was essential that the transition to the new system was as smooth as possible. It was noted that calls from mobile phones and landlines would be free of charge. Questions on the system had been structured so where callers required an ambulance they would only be required to answer three or four questions at which time the existing 999 protocols would come into operation.
Callers not requiring an ambulance would be asked a few additional questions in order to direct them to the appropriate service. Calls would be managed by trained call handlers supported by clinicians who could take over the call if necessary.
The benefit of this service was that it would take cognisance of local strategies and services and would notify the service that the patient would be attending.
Ms Wyman explained that the national start date for the service was the 01 April 2013. It had however been decided to postpone implementation locally to reduce any risks associated with a large number of sites going live at the same time. Berkshire East would go live on the 24 April and here in West Berkshire the service would go live on the 15 May 2013. NHS Direct would cease to function on the 18 June 2013. An official launch would be held after the implementation date to prevent the system potentially being overloaded.
The Board discussed the possibility of using information generated by the system to inform services locally. Lise Llewellyn suggested that it would be best to get the system embedded before looking at ways the information garnered could be used.
The Chairman thanked Officers for the update.