NHS 24 still failing to meet targets admits minister
THE troubled national health helpline NHS 24 has not yet "turned the corner", Scotland's health minister Andy Kerr said yesterday as an action plan to save the service, including the setting up of new call centres and an internet site, was laid out.
NHS 24 has come under sustained criticism from doctors and patients' groups over the length of time it takes to respond to patients' calls.
Speaking at the NHS 24 centre in South Queensferry, Mr Kerr said: "It's too early to say that NHS 24 has turned the corner. I think the new chief executive is doing extremely well, I think he's making the moves that are required to resolve some of these pressures, but I will be keeping a close eye on the organisation to ensure that it is making improvements as it should do."
His comments came as new figures showed some users of the telephone helpline service were waiting even longer to be called back by advisers after they had initially phoned.
Mr Kerr said he expected the controversial call-back system used by the troubled NHS 24 service to eventually end.
"I think it's too early for me to say it's the end of call-back, but certainly that should be the overall objective because that's not what I expect from the service," he said.
In July, the call-back time for people classed in the top priority was 13 minutes, an improvement on 17 minutes the previous month.
However, for "priority two" call-backs, the length of time rose from 58 minutes to 87 minutes between June and July, and from 38 minutes to 66 minutes in the third priority rating.
Yesterday, the interim chairman of NHS 24, George King, admitted the service had had a troubled start.
"This meeting marks really the first year of operation for NHS 24 with full coverage of Scotland," he said. "There have been more difficulties than we expected, some undoubtedly of our own making, but we have recognised the problems and are making solutions."
He announced a new programme to open six additional call centres and better organisation of staff to handle peak call times.
One of the problems at the £47 million institution has been poor staffing. Officials even blamed the name of the service, which was established to supplement GPs, saying it had led to high call-volumes at unexpected times.
John McGuigan, chief executive of NHS 24, said: "When it was established, the service expected 40 per cent of its calls during regular hours and 60 per cent during out-of-hours. What we found is in fact it's been 90 per cent out-of-hours."
Mr McGuigan said the service had stepped up recruitment efforts. The board now offers six-hour shifts so that nurses can carry on two jobs.
Previously, staffing had been hurt by nurses not wanting to work exclusively in call centres.
To further help the service cope, officials laid out plans yesterday to take NHS 24 online. Mr McGuigan said the service would help both nurses at call centres and patients at home.
Last night, Stewart Maxwell, MSP, a health spokesman for the SNP, questioned the Executive's handling of the service. "What we need to know is how the minister is going to end call-back and how soon it will happen," he said.
"People's confidence in NHS 24 is at an all-time low as it has been failing so many people. The infrastructure of NHS 24 will have to be greatly improved if the beleaguered service is to gain public trust."
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1838622005
NHS 24 has come under sustained criticism from doctors and patients' groups over the length of time it takes to respond to patients' calls.
Speaking at the NHS 24 centre in South Queensferry, Mr Kerr said: "It's too early to say that NHS 24 has turned the corner. I think the new chief executive is doing extremely well, I think he's making the moves that are required to resolve some of these pressures, but I will be keeping a close eye on the organisation to ensure that it is making improvements as it should do."
His comments came as new figures showed some users of the telephone helpline service were waiting even longer to be called back by advisers after they had initially phoned.
Mr Kerr said he expected the controversial call-back system used by the troubled NHS 24 service to eventually end.
"I think it's too early for me to say it's the end of call-back, but certainly that should be the overall objective because that's not what I expect from the service," he said.
In July, the call-back time for people classed in the top priority was 13 minutes, an improvement on 17 minutes the previous month.
However, for "priority two" call-backs, the length of time rose from 58 minutes to 87 minutes between June and July, and from 38 minutes to 66 minutes in the third priority rating.
Yesterday, the interim chairman of NHS 24, George King, admitted the service had had a troubled start.
"This meeting marks really the first year of operation for NHS 24 with full coverage of Scotland," he said. "There have been more difficulties than we expected, some undoubtedly of our own making, but we have recognised the problems and are making solutions."
He announced a new programme to open six additional call centres and better organisation of staff to handle peak call times.
One of the problems at the £47 million institution has been poor staffing. Officials even blamed the name of the service, which was established to supplement GPs, saying it had led to high call-volumes at unexpected times.
John McGuigan, chief executive of NHS 24, said: "When it was established, the service expected 40 per cent of its calls during regular hours and 60 per cent during out-of-hours. What we found is in fact it's been 90 per cent out-of-hours."
Mr McGuigan said the service had stepped up recruitment efforts. The board now offers six-hour shifts so that nurses can carry on two jobs.
Previously, staffing had been hurt by nurses not wanting to work exclusively in call centres.
To further help the service cope, officials laid out plans yesterday to take NHS 24 online. Mr McGuigan said the service would help both nurses at call centres and patients at home.
Last night, Stewart Maxwell, MSP, a health spokesman for the SNP, questioned the Executive's handling of the service. "What we need to know is how the minister is going to end call-back and how soon it will happen," he said.
"People's confidence in NHS 24 is at an all-time low as it has been failing so many people. The infrastructure of NHS 24 will have to be greatly improved if the beleaguered service is to gain public trust."
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1838622005
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