The new NHS 111 Clinical Assessment Service will begin in North East London on 1 August 2018.

NHS 111 is a free 24/7 helpline which offers advice to people with an urgent care need. However, the new service will be much more than this, with clinicians, such as GPs and nurses, available to provide high-quality assessments, advice and treatment to people over the phone at any time of day. They will also be able to book an appointment for people with the most appropriate NHS service if they need one.

The new service is now the key contact people need for urgent care, advice or treatment outside of normal GP practice opening hours. It means people will get the right care, in the right place, first time.

This will ensure that people across North East London have direct access to expert urgent clinical advice and assessments at times when their own GP practice is closed.

The service is joined up with other urgent care services such as GP practices, GP hubs, mental health services, and pharmacies across the area. 

The new service will provide:

• Assessments over the phone – along with advice or treatment recommendations from a range of health professionals if required
• Direct booking appointments, with more appointments becoming available over the coming months
• The ability to prescribe medicines over the phone if required
• Easy access to patients’ records and care plans – with details updated after calls
• Quick transfer to mental health crisis services for assessment/advice if required
• Access to personalised, clinical advice on smart phones or computers through a dedicated 111 Online website. Just search for ‘NHS 111 Online’

This is the first joint commissioning contract awarded by the seven clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that make up the North East London Commissioning Alliance – Waltham Forest, Newham, Tower Hamlets, City and Hackney, Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge. It highlights the way we are working together to shape services which are consistent across North East London, formed around local people and put their needs first.

The new service is being provided by London Ambulance Service. Local people from across the community helped shape the new service and the process for selecting the organisation that would deliver it, ensuring it would truly meet the needs of those who live in our area.