NHS 111 Wales launches pioneering new contact centre technology

NHS 111 Wales has launched pioneering new call and clinical assessment technology in its contact centres.

The new system enables 111 health advisors to better prioritise and signpost patients to the most appropriate pathway of care, which might be a call-back from a paramedic or nurse, a call back or a visit to a GP or pharmacist or self-care at home.

111 is the free-to-call number for urgent healthcare support and advice if you are ill or injured and unsure what to do.

Meanwhile, the 111.wales.nhs.uk website is also the home of health advice and information and a wealth of symptom checkers.

Stephen Clinton, Assistant Director of Operations (Integrated Care) at the Welsh Ambulance Service, which provides the NHS 111 Wales service, said: “111 acts as a first gateway on a patient’s journey within the health and care system providing them with the right advice or referral every time.

“With over a million calls per year, it’s so important that we’re using technology which provides a good experience for our patients, and for the health advisors helping them.

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to colleagues across the organisation, in health boards and beyond who have worked collectively to implement the new system.”

NHS 111 Wales is the first service in the world to use the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch-approved Call Prioritisation Streaming System.

A new clinical triage system is also enabling nurses and paramedics in the Trust’s contact centres to access up-to-date, evidence-based clinical decision support.

Dr Mike Brady, Assistant Clinical Director for Remote Clinical Care, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for NHS 111 Wales, and this new system will drastically improve and modernise the way we deliver care to patients.

“Combining clinical evidence, modern technology and opportunities for interoperability means that patients are getting the right care, from the right person, first time, and ensures that we work effectively within the wider integrated urgent care environment in Wales.”