Written question WQ87893
- Asked by
- Russell GeorgeConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What improvements has the Welsh Government made to the NHS 111 service in the last 12 months and what plans are there for further progress?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
Following the completion of the national roll out of NHS 111 Wales (March 2022), a range of improvements have been made. This includes:
• The appointment of additional call handlers and pharmacists
• Increasing the provision of GPs working within the 111 Clinical Support Hubs during periods of peak demand, including during increase in Strep-A infections
• A national NHS 111 Wales marketing campaign
We have also provided funding to health boards to improve access across all mental health services, including through the implementation of ‘111 press 2’ for urgent mental health needs. This pathway is a significant transformation to improve access to mental health and is being rolled out across Wales with the aim of achieving 24/7 coverage by the end of April 2023.
We have provided capital funding for the procurement of an integrated information solution to replace the current IT systems. The solution is being provided by Capita and is expected to be implemented across Wales during Q4 2023.
In terms of future 111 developments, the focus will be on increased resilience during peak periods of demand (specifically weekends and bank-holidays).
There will also be a clinical focus on key pathways linked to palliative care and end-of-life care; urgent dental care and expanded crisis mental health 24/7 in 2023-24.