Share your experiences and what you think about the NHS 111 service in south east London

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Background

South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) pays for and arranges the NHS 111 service on behalf of people living in south east London (SEL). Our current arrangements run out in 2026 and we, therefore, need to put in place a new NHS 111 service to begin in March 2026.

In preparation for putting in place a new service to replace the current one, we need to understand what works well, what doesn’t work well about the current service and what needs to change for our residents.

New! Be the voice for better NHS 111 in south east London

Are you passionate and enthusiastic about the future of your NHS and want to help us shape the future of NHS111?

We are recruiting two patient and public voice (PPV) partners to assist with the procurement of the SEL 111 Integrated Urgent Care (111 IUC) Service. The current 111 IUC service contract will expire in March 2026 and a new service needs to be commissioned for residents of SEL.

We would like the PPV partners to:

  • Be a member of the SEL 111 IUC Procurement Programme Board
  • Be a member of the SEL 111 IUC Procurement Evaluation Panel
  • Score bidders’ responses to relevant Invitation to Tender questions
  • Attend the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) event and score bidders’ responses to relevant OSCE questions
  • Participate in relevant task and finish groups

We are looking for people with lived experience of accessing NHS services, particularly parents of young children, carers, and those with long-term conditions.

PPV partners bring important views, perspective and challenge into the procurement process. This role is essential in championing a service user, patient and/or carer/family viewpoint, ensuring that their needs are met through the outcomes of the programme.

We are looking for a commitment until the end March 2025, with potential for extension. Our PPV partners will be required to attend meetings approximately once a month. Meetings will usually take place online via Microsoft Teams and normally last for 1-2 hours. Activities pertaining to the scoring of OSCE will most likely be in person in a SEL location. PPV partners might be asked to read documents and provide comments outside of meetings.

As a PPV Partners, your role will be to bring the patient perspective into the procurement process, acting as a critical friend

The PPV Partners role is offered a recognising involvement reward at £14 per hour. The PPV Partners will be required to keep a record of the hours they have worked and complete a form to claim the recognising involvement reward.

You can apply if you:

  • are over 18;
  • live in South East London or have experience/knowledge of using NHS services in South East London;
  • can commit to 2 hours every month to attend meetings; and
  • are passionate and committed to improving the quality of care for local people

Read full role outline here.

Complete the expression of interest form


For more information, please contact SEL111@selondonics.nhs.uk Deadline for applications will be 22nd November 2024

How people got involved

We invited people living in Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark to tell us about their experiences of the NHS 111 service, what works well and what can be improved. The survey run for 8 weeks November 2023 - January 2024 and aimed to:

  • Understand if people have used the NHS 111 service
  • Learn what people know about the service and receive feedback about their experience of using the service
  • Identify how people would like the service to change or improve
  • Hear their recommendations to support improvement

The survey was promoted to members of the public in south east London, as well as to over 1,000 members of the South East London People’s Panel. It remained open for eight weeks, during which time we received a total of 407 responses.

The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part and you can read key findings and full report here.

Key findings

NHS 111 current service

  • Our findings shows that although people generally have a good understanding of the role of the NHS 111 service, more promotion is needed around the service’s capabilities.
  • More than 50% of respondents reported having used the service within the past year, with the majority choosing to access the service via telephone.
  • The primary reasons for accessing the NHS 111 service included seeking clarity on the urgency of their conditions (34%), utilising it as an alternative to the GP service during out-of-hours periods (30%), or when unable to secure a timely appointment (19%).
  • Those who had used the service acknowledged and appreciated the helpful advice and support provided once they had spoken with a clinician, but expressed concerns about long wait times for callbacks.
  • Overall, the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the service received, as they were able to obtain the necessary advice and/or care. However, some individuals reported dissatisfaction, flagging issues such as not receiving the advice or care needed, frustration with the triage process, and long waits for callbacks.

New NHS 111 service

  • The majority of respondents prefer telephone (rather than online) access to NHS 111 services, finding it more accessible, easier to explain their concerns, and more reassuring to speak directly with a person.
  • Among the survey respondents, over 69% expressed a preference for receiving a callback as soon as the clinician is available (rather than at a prearranged time) to obtain the help and advice they need. Of these, 55% indicated a preference for callbacks as soon as the clinician is available at any time, day or night, while 13% preferred this during daytime hours only. Preferences for callbacks varied depending on the health condition, urgency of the situation, and other pre-existing complex health issues.
  • Respondents emphasised the importance of receiving callbacks within 4 hours for non-urgent issues and within 30 minutes for urgent health conditions.
  • Language barriers, digital exclusion, and accessibility challenges for individuals with physical and sensory impairments, as well as socioeconomic deprivation, were identified as the most common barriers to using the service or limiting access to it.
  • Over 80% (326) of respondents said that they value the service, considering NHS 111 an essential resource. They expressed their desire to continue having access to the service in the future. Some examples of respondents’ comments about the importance of the service are noted below:

'Yes. I have found 111 exceptionally helpful, informative and efficient.'

'Yes, as an autistic person I hate going to A&E. Too many people overwhelms me and I know this would make my situation a lot worse'

'It is an extremely essential part of the health service especially since the pandemic and I am unable to get a face to face appointment with my doctor- I feel lucky to have this service available because of this'

Read detailed report

Other ways to involve people

Update summer 2024

Over the summer 2024, the SEL 111 Programme Team, alongside the engagement team, has organised a series of face-to-face outreach sessions, aimed at connecting with groups and communities that have been identified as facing barriers in accessing the NHS 111 service, not accessing the service or accessing the service much more than the general population.

The outreach initiative included visits to various community events and groups, such as:

  • Black Inspire - community event in Lambeth
  • Men in sheds, an Age UK initiative in Bexley
  • Orpington Health and Wellbeing Café, run by Orpington Primary Care Network in Bromley
  • Bengali Women’s Group in Greenwich
  • Indoamerican Refugee & Migrant Organisation and Latin American Women's Rights Service
  • South East London LDA Forum

These visits allowed us to gather feedback from over 100 individuals. The feedback collected will inform our plans to improve people’s experience of using the service and identify ways to overcome barriers that people are facing when accessing 111.

Read more and see key insights and recommendations

Next steps

The NHS 111 service survey results are supporting the redesign of the NHS 111 service for south east London. Feedback from the survey respondents allows SEL ICB to evaluate our current NHS 111 service from the patient perspective, as well as ensuring that in the redesign we keep those elements that patients value and change things where we can to further improve things for patients.

The findings will inform our approach to developing the specification, as well as performance targets that we will set for the new service. We will continue to collect feedback on our proposals and adapt to respond to the needs of our people and communities in south east London. This report will inform our plans to improve patient experience of using the service and identify ways to overcome barriers that people are facing when using the service. We will be working with south east London borough colleagues to shape the service models based on recommendations from this report.

Background

South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) pays for and arranges the NHS 111 service on behalf of people living in south east London (SEL). Our current arrangements run out in 2026 and we, therefore, need to put in place a new NHS 111 service to begin in March 2026.

In preparation for putting in place a new service to replace the current one, we need to understand what works well, what doesn’t work well about the current service and what needs to change for our residents.

New! Be the voice for better NHS 111 in south east London

Are you passionate and enthusiastic about the future of your NHS and want to help us shape the future of NHS111?

We are recruiting two patient and public voice (PPV) partners to assist with the procurement of the SEL 111 Integrated Urgent Care (111 IUC) Service. The current 111 IUC service contract will expire in March 2026 and a new service needs to be commissioned for residents of SEL.

We would like the PPV partners to:

  • Be a member of the SEL 111 IUC Procurement Programme Board
  • Be a member of the SEL 111 IUC Procurement Evaluation Panel
  • Score bidders’ responses to relevant Invitation to Tender questions
  • Attend the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) event and score bidders’ responses to relevant OSCE questions
  • Participate in relevant task and finish groups

We are looking for people with lived experience of accessing NHS services, particularly parents of young children, carers, and those with long-term conditions.

PPV partners bring important views, perspective and challenge into the procurement process. This role is essential in championing a service user, patient and/or carer/family viewpoint, ensuring that their needs are met through the outcomes of the programme.

We are looking for a commitment until the end March 2025, with potential for extension. Our PPV partners will be required to attend meetings approximately once a month. Meetings will usually take place online via Microsoft Teams and normally last for 1-2 hours. Activities pertaining to the scoring of OSCE will most likely be in person in a SEL location. PPV partners might be asked to read documents and provide comments outside of meetings.

As a PPV Partners, your role will be to bring the patient perspective into the procurement process, acting as a critical friend

The PPV Partners role is offered a recognising involvement reward at £14 per hour. The PPV Partners will be required to keep a record of the hours they have worked and complete a form to claim the recognising involvement reward.

You can apply if you:

  • are over 18;
  • live in South East London or have experience/knowledge of using NHS services in South East London;
  • can commit to 2 hours every month to attend meetings; and
  • are passionate and committed to improving the quality of care for local people

Read full role outline here.

Complete the expression of interest form


For more information, please contact SEL111@selondonics.nhs.uk Deadline for applications will be 22nd November 2024

How people got involved

We invited people living in Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark to tell us about their experiences of the NHS 111 service, what works well and what can be improved. The survey run for 8 weeks November 2023 - January 2024 and aimed to:

  • Understand if people have used the NHS 111 service
  • Learn what people know about the service and receive feedback about their experience of using the service
  • Identify how people would like the service to change or improve
  • Hear their recommendations to support improvement

The survey was promoted to members of the public in south east London, as well as to over 1,000 members of the South East London People’s Panel. It remained open for eight weeks, during which time we received a total of 407 responses.

The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part and you can read key findings and full report here.

Key findings

NHS 111 current service

  • Our findings shows that although people generally have a good understanding of the role of the NHS 111 service, more promotion is needed around the service’s capabilities.
  • More than 50% of respondents reported having used the service within the past year, with the majority choosing to access the service via telephone.
  • The primary reasons for accessing the NHS 111 service included seeking clarity on the urgency of their conditions (34%), utilising it as an alternative to the GP service during out-of-hours periods (30%), or when unable to secure a timely appointment (19%).
  • Those who had used the service acknowledged and appreciated the helpful advice and support provided once they had spoken with a clinician, but expressed concerns about long wait times for callbacks.
  • Overall, the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the service received, as they were able to obtain the necessary advice and/or care. However, some individuals reported dissatisfaction, flagging issues such as not receiving the advice or care needed, frustration with the triage process, and long waits for callbacks.

New NHS 111 service

  • The majority of respondents prefer telephone (rather than online) access to NHS 111 services, finding it more accessible, easier to explain their concerns, and more reassuring to speak directly with a person.
  • Among the survey respondents, over 69% expressed a preference for receiving a callback as soon as the clinician is available (rather than at a prearranged time) to obtain the help and advice they need. Of these, 55% indicated a preference for callbacks as soon as the clinician is available at any time, day or night, while 13% preferred this during daytime hours only. Preferences for callbacks varied depending on the health condition, urgency of the situation, and other pre-existing complex health issues.
  • Respondents emphasised the importance of receiving callbacks within 4 hours for non-urgent issues and within 30 minutes for urgent health conditions.
  • Language barriers, digital exclusion, and accessibility challenges for individuals with physical and sensory impairments, as well as socioeconomic deprivation, were identified as the most common barriers to using the service or limiting access to it.
  • Over 80% (326) of respondents said that they value the service, considering NHS 111 an essential resource. They expressed their desire to continue having access to the service in the future. Some examples of respondents’ comments about the importance of the service are noted below:

'Yes. I have found 111 exceptionally helpful, informative and efficient.'

'Yes, as an autistic person I hate going to A&E. Too many people overwhelms me and I know this would make my situation a lot worse'

'It is an extremely essential part of the health service especially since the pandemic and I am unable to get a face to face appointment with my doctor- I feel lucky to have this service available because of this'

Read detailed report

Other ways to involve people

Update summer 2024

Over the summer 2024, the SEL 111 Programme Team, alongside the engagement team, has organised a series of face-to-face outreach sessions, aimed at connecting with groups and communities that have been identified as facing barriers in accessing the NHS 111 service, not accessing the service or accessing the service much more than the general population.

The outreach initiative included visits to various community events and groups, such as:

  • Black Inspire - community event in Lambeth
  • Men in sheds, an Age UK initiative in Bexley
  • Orpington Health and Wellbeing Café, run by Orpington Primary Care Network in Bromley
  • Bengali Women’s Group in Greenwich
  • Indoamerican Refugee & Migrant Organisation and Latin American Women's Rights Service
  • South East London LDA Forum

These visits allowed us to gather feedback from over 100 individuals. The feedback collected will inform our plans to improve people’s experience of using the service and identify ways to overcome barriers that people are facing when accessing 111.

Read more and see key insights and recommendations

Next steps

The NHS 111 service survey results are supporting the redesign of the NHS 111 service for south east London. Feedback from the survey respondents allows SEL ICB to evaluate our current NHS 111 service from the patient perspective, as well as ensuring that in the redesign we keep those elements that patients value and change things where we can to further improve things for patients.

The findings will inform our approach to developing the specification, as well as performance targets that we will set for the new service. We will continue to collect feedback on our proposals and adapt to respond to the needs of our people and communities in south east London. This report will inform our plans to improve patient experience of using the service and identify ways to overcome barriers that people are facing when using the service. We will be working with south east London borough colleagues to shape the service models based on recommendations from this report.

  • Engaging with communities to improve NHS 111 service

    Share Engaging with communities to improve NHS 111 service on Facebook Share Engaging with communities to improve NHS 111 service on Twitter Share Engaging with communities to improve NHS 111 service on Linkedin Email Engaging with communities to improve NHS 111 service link

    Over the last two months, the South East London (SEL) NHS 111 programme team, alongside engagement colleagues, organised a series of face-to-face outreach sessions, aimed at connecting with groups and communities that have been identified as either facing barriers in accessing the NHS 111 service, not accessing the service at all or accessing the service much more than the general population. This is in addition to the survey we carried out earlier on in the year when we heard from over 400 local people.

    The outreach initiative included visits to various community events and groups, such as:

    • Black Inspire - community event in Lambeth
    • Men in Sheds, an Age UK initiative in Bexley
    • Orpington Health and Wellbeing Café, run by Orpington Primary Care Network in Bromley
    • Bengali Women’s Group in Greenwich

    These visits allowed us to gather feedback from over 100 individuals. The feedback collected will inform our plans to improve people’s experience of using the service and identify ways to overcome barriers that people are facing when accessing 111.

    Key insights and recommendations

    Insight gathered during these sessions highlighted issues such as:

    • While the public generally has a good understanding of what NHS 111 is for, they may lack knowledge of certain capabilities that the service has, for example, the ability to issue an urgent supply of repeat prescriptions.
    • The public seem comfortable with accessing 111 via telephone, stating that they are able to navigate the telephony menus and obtain an interpreter when needed.
    • There are significant knowledge gaps regarding the different access routes to NHS 111, such as via 111 online and the NHS App.
    • There is a strong preference for the telephone service over online access and reasons include lack of digital literacy, preference for personal interaction, and the belief of receiving quicker assistance via the telephony route.

    Based on the feedback, several recommendations have been made to improve the service:

    • Shorter wait times for call backs from clinicians.
    • A reduction in the need to make multiple calls to receive help e.g. to 111, then to another service that they have been referred onto.
    • Better knowledge of local services by the NHS 111 clinicians.

    To effectively raise awareness and understanding of the NHS 111 services, it has been recommended we use a variety of communication channels to promote the service and what it offers, specifically targeting the demographics that are most in need.

    The SEL NHS 111 programme team will continue conversations with south east London communities over the coming months, ensuring that more voices are heard and that the service is shaped to respond to people’s needs.

Page last updated: 01 Nov 2024, 12:25 PM