Press Release - NHS Direct in England
25 January 2002
NHS Direct, the national telephone healthcare advice service
operated by nurses, has achieved a high level of customer
satisfaction since its introduction. The service, which has been
fully available throughout England and Wales since November 2000,
has a good safety record. Evidence at the local level suggests that
it can help reduce demand on healthcare services provided outside
normal working hours, for example by GPs, and is directing callers
to more appropriate forms of care during the day.
In his report presented to Parliament today, head of the NAO Sir
John Bourn praised the NHS Direct project team’s achievement in
meeting the Government’s targets for introducing the national
telephone service and associated website. Lessons were learnt
quickly as the telephone service was piloted and implemented in
less than three years and NHS Direct had already met its target
that 60 per cent of the population be aware of the service by March
2002.
Longer term strategic and business planning was now needed in
order to deal with the expected rapid increase in demand for NHS
Direct. This should include a human resources strategy to help
deliver the nurses required without exacerbating nurse shortages
elsewhere in the NHS.
Evidence indicates that NHS Direct was operating safely, and
advice to callers errs on the side of caution. There were 29
adverse event cases in three years, fewer than one for every
220,000 calls.
When accessing the service, very few callers receive the engaged
signal but (in September 2001) only 64 per cent of callers managed
to speak to a nurse within five minutes compared with the current
target of 90 per cent. In the year to September 2001 one in five
callers had to wait more than 30 minutes for a nurse to call them
back.
The NAO report found that not all social groups were using NHS
Direct equally. Younger people, people over 65, ethnic minority
groups, more disadvantaged social groups and people with
disabilities were either less aware of NHS Direct or used it less.
But these groups had as much need as others of the service and
perhaps an even greater one. NHS Direct was taking steps to reach
these groups, but there was scope for more targeted efforts at both
a national and local level.
According to NAO estimates, NHS Direct was off-setting around
half of its running costs by encouraging more appropriate use of
NHS services. There were also benefits in reducing out-of-hours
working where services were integrated with NHS Direct. For
example, one GP Co-operative providing services outside normal
working hours had recorded a fall of 18 per cent in the number of
calls received when callers were transferred to NHS Direct
first.
NHS Direct also added value by reassuring callers and saving
them unnecessary anxiety.
Sir John Bourn said:
"It was a significant achievement getting NHS Direct up
and running in less than three years. The service is valued by
those who use it and, according to the evidence available, is
starting to meet its aim of directing people to more appropriate
forms of healthcare.
"The challenge now for NHS Direct is to meet the
expected rapid increase in callers and to set a clear future
direction for the service. NHS Direct should also address the fact
that some social groups are tending not to use the service, and
increase the proportion of callers who are promptly connected to a
nurse."
Notes for Editors
NHS Direct is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a
year service providing information and advice to members of the
public calling through a single national telephone number. Callers
seeking medical advice are assessed by nurses using decision
support software to provide consistent clinical criteria. There is
also an associated on-line service - a website providing healthcare
information and a guide to common symptoms.
NHS Direct cost £22 million in start up costs. In 2000-2001 it
cost £78 million to run. Projected running costs for 2001-2002 are
£99 million as usage doubles.
Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website at http://www.nao.org.uk/ Hard copies can
be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.
The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the head
of the National Audit Office employing some 750 staff. He and the
NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 06/02
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