Following the Department of Health’s announcement last December that three Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) are to pilot the new three digit number for urgent care, 111, we have been working nationally and locally to help design the solutions for each of the pilots.
Each SHA – the North East, East Midlands and East of England - is designing their pilots slightly differently and NHS Direct is involved in all three, whether it’s providing call handling, nurse assessment or health information.
'NHS Pathways', the Connecting for Health clinical assessment system is planned for use in the three digit number pilots. It supports decision making in a similar way to CAS, the system used by NHS Direct. We support the Department of Health’s vision for all the parties involved in the three digit number pilots to work from a single assessment system to prevent duplication and enhance the patient journey through joined up working.
One of the critical issues is the impact that the clinical assessment process may have on demand for face to face services. For that reason, the East of England SHA has asked the Pathways team and NHS Direct to undertake a field trial where NHS Direct staff will assess calls using NHS Pathways while others will use CAS. The trial will be evaluated by the University of East Anglia and the findings considered by the SHAs and the Department of Health.
For more information about the NHS Pathways field trial being conducted by NHS Direct contact diane.baynham@nhsdirect.nhs.uk
