NHS 111 impact on A&E in Shropshire remains 'uncertain'
It is the right time for Shropshire to move across to the NHS 111 service – but there are still uncertainties over the impact it will have on A&E services, a health boss has said.
Calls for Shropshire's out-of-hours GP service are expected to be taken by the NHS 111 service from July 3.
The current Shropdoc telephone number will no longer be in use from that date.
People in Shropshire can already call the 111 number but residents in Wales who are registered with a GP in the county still have to use the Shropdoc number.
The 111 number cannot be accessed there.
A report, which will be put before members of Shropshire CCG during a meeting today, says that Powys is planning to adopt the Welsh NHS 111 from July 1.
Dr Julian Povey, chair of Shropshire clinical commissioning group, said: "It's the right time to move to the national 111 number.
"One of the main issues has been the border issue but they are getting 111 at the same time."
However, he said the impact it will have on the county's A&E departments is still uncertain.
It was previously revealed that more people are seen by paramedics when they dial the 111 number rather than Shropdoc.
Dr Povey said: "No-one knows what affect it will have on A&E. We will have to wait and see."
The report to the CCG says Shropdoc has been signposting patients and carers to NHS111 since April 2017.
It says: "The data analysis completed so far does not demonstrate that increasing numbers of patients accessing emergency department or West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) services is directly related to calling NHS111.
"There has been an increase for Telford & Wrekin CCG emergency department activity, while Shropshire CCG emergency department activity has been largely stable since April, and both have seen increases in WMAS activity.
"Both CCGs have reviewed the data available. Analysis suggests that emergency department increases are linked with primary care access, compromised earlier in 2017 for some practices in Telford & Wrekin.
"WMAS increases are related to other factors, for example double counting of ambulance dispatches, and inter-site transfers.
"The ambulance increases cannot be explained by 111 activity which is still relatively small in comparison."
The CCG will be asked to support the change of telephone numbers during today's meeting.
Bosses have confirmed that any patients who need to see a clinician out-of-hours will still be seen by a local GP.
The NHS 111 service is now offered across the whole of England.
It is free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
