North Essex: NHS Direct Ends 111 Service

3 July 2013, 06:52 | Updated: 3 July 2013, 14:14

The new non-emergency NHS phone line has been thrown into turmoil after a supplier pulled out of two contracts for providing the service.

NHS Direct has said it will be unable to provide the phone line in North Essex and Cornwall - despite winning the contracts to deliver the service.

NHS Direct won 11 of the 46 contracts for the 111 service, but it said it cannot provide the service here because the contract terms were "financially unsustainable".

In a letter to local health bosses in the two regions, officials said that: "NHS Direct has no option but to exit from the contract.

"The reason for this is that since the launch of NHS Direct's other 111 services, we have established that the contract terms which NHS Direct had entered into are in fact, financially unsustainable."

The NHS 111 line, which replaced NHS Direct as the number to call for urgent but non-emergency care, has been riddled with controversy since its inception on April 1.

The line suffered many teething problems, with patients complaining of calls going unanswered, poor advice given and calls being diverted to the wrong part of the country.

Just a month after its launch medics warned that the "problematic" roll out of the system left many patients not knowing where to turn.

Health officials launched an investigation into the advice line after a number of potentially serious incidents, including three deaths, were linked to the service.

Last week the British Medical Association called for an independent inquiry into the "disastrous" roll out of the service.

Dr Donald McGeachy, Clinical Lead for NHS 111 in north Essex said: "NHS Direct has confirmed that it is not able to mobilise NHS 111 in north Essex, and the three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in north Essex are now seeking an alternative NHS 111 provider. 

"This is not a major upheaval for our local services and patients. We had already put the launch of NHS 111 on hold earlier this year and we are continuing with our existing system of patients contacting their local surgery and out of hours services. 

"If people need advice they can still call NHS Direct on 0845 4647. As always, if the situation is potentially life-threatening, dial 999 immediately. 999 services will continue for life-threatening emergencies, even with the 111 service in place. 

"Even though we have excellent GP and primary care services available 24/7, we still want to bring the additional benefits of NHS 111 to north Essex. The number is easy to remember and when you call the service, it will get you to the right service at the right time using a comprehensive local directory of services. 

"It will also provide detailed information for planning because it will record everything, right down to the conversation between the caller and call adviser. 

"The CCGs are considering a number of potential providers, and this will take some time to complete. In the meantime, people can contact 0845 4647 for general advice and they should contact their local surgery, any time of day or night, if they feel their need is urgent but not life-threatening. In a life-threatening emergency, dial 999 immediately."