NHS Direct takes steps to address unexpectedly high demand for its telephone helpline

In the run up to Christmas, calls to NHS Direct’s telephone helpline have been significantly higher than expected. This is always a busy time of year for the service, but call volumes have still exceeded forecasts by up to 25%. Anecdotal feedback suggests that other NHS services are also experiencing unusually high demand at the moment.

The sudden increase in calls has affected both patients’ ability to access the telephone helpline and the speed at which some callers receive nurse assessment. Whilst all calls are prioritised and responded to based on clinical need, NHS Direct has taken a number of steps to improve service delivery during this busy period. These include:

  • Encouraging patients with internet access to try our online health and symptom checkers first. If necessary, online users are still able to request a call back from a nurse adviser.
  • Using more temporary/agency staff to increase capacity.
  • Incentivising existing staff to work additional hours or overtime.
  • Recruiting additional Band 5 nurses

We would appreciate your support in encouraging patients to try our online health and symptom checkers wherever possible. In any forthcoming communications your organisation puts out which include NHS Direct (e.g. press releases) we ask that you always include the website address – www.nhs.uk/nhsdirect - alongside the 0845 4647 telephone number.

If you have any questions regarding NHS Direct’s service performance, please contact your NHS Direct Regional Director.