NHS 111 review, Worcestershire

Healthwatch Worcestershire wanted to find out about people’s awareness and experiences of NHS 111 as they felt it was especially important given current pressures on Accident and Emergency services and Primary Care.

The findings suggest that there is a good overall awareness of the NHS 111 service in Worcestershire and that the majority of people who have used NHS 111 feel they have received a good service. However, there is not such a good understanding of the range of services NHS 111 provides and concerns have been raised about the quality of service received in some cases, particularly in relation to the time taken to respond and the questions asked.

The report also notes the importance of raising awareness of the NHS 111 service and patient experience and satisfaction, both for the health outcomes of individual patients and helping to relieve the pressures placed on Accident and Emergency, Primary Care and 999 services.

Healthwatch Worcestershire has made recommendations to improve the awareness of the service, and for improvements to delivery of NHS 111 in Worcestershire and will be seeking information from commissioners and Care UK to gain an understanding of current arrangements for patient participation and engagement for NHS 111.