Issue - meetings

Report and presentation attached.

Officers explained that urgent care services including the NHS 111 service were currently in the process of being reprocured across the seven North East London boroughs. It was planned for the new service to meet national standards and for NHS 111 to be the first point of contact for urgent care needs.

The formal procurement process would commence by 21 April and the procurement documents would be made available on-line. Changes under the new service would include GPs and other clinicians being based within the NHS 111 service itself. Engagement had taken place with clinicians and was now under way with patient reference groups and other public representatives. A total of 170 surveys had been completed as part of the public engagement although overall numbers engaged with had been higher than this.

Clinical assessments at NHS 111 would be prioritised for babies and for callers over 75 years of age. All existing out of hours health phone numbers for North East London would be combined within NHS 111 although this was already the situation in Outer North East London. A patient sub-group fed into the procurement process and patients were also represented on the relevant Programme Board.

The new provider of the NHS 111 service would be expected to work with GP practices in order to obtain appointment slots that could be made available via NHS 111. It was anticipated that 2-3 appointments per day at each GP practice could be made available via NHS 111 for urgent patients. It was also hoped that NHS 111 could assist self-care by directing patients to pharmacies etc. It was also planned to have an on-line NHS 111 service in due course.

Whilst the precise value of the urgent care contract was confidential at this stage, the contract was expected to be of a large value. Fewer calls were now referred from NHS 111 to ambulances with calls being retriaged by clinicians if necessary. It was hoped that the new NHS 111 service would establish better connections with GPs, pharmacies and mental health services etc which would reduce the numbers of people attending A & E. It was also hoped that repeat prescriptions would be able to be issued via the service. It was also anticipated that IT connections between GP practices and NHS 111 would be established within this financial year.

It was hoped that consortia of bidders would apply for the contract, including smaller, local organisations.

The Joint Committee AGREED that the not for profit sector should be involved in the NHS 111 contract and otherwise noted the position.