Update on NHS 111 Wales Implementation and Shropdoc

One of our priorities during 2018 will be to put in place our plan for the roll-out of the NHS 111 Wales service across Powys. NHS 111 Wales will provide a “one stop shop” service that combines GP Out of Hours with the NHS Direct Wales service. This means that patients don’t need to decide whether to call their GP Out of Hours Service or NHS Direct – instead they can ring 111 to get easy access to health information and advice if they are ill and unsure what to do. 

NHS 111 Wales was first put in place in ABMU Health Board (Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend) in October 2016. In May 2017 it was extended to Carmarthenshire. November 2017 saw the first NHS 111 Wales implementation in Powys when Ystradgynlais Medical Practice switched over to the integrated service. 

Our aim is to put in place NHS 111 Wales across Powys from spring 2018. Our current contract with Shropdoc (the organisation providing out-of-hours primary care medical services for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and most of Powys) ends in the spring. This makes it an ideal time to work with them and other partners on a managed transition to a future model for out-of-hours primary care linked to the new NHS 111 Wales service. Our future approach will also include a new model for face-to-face out-of-hours services working seamlessly with NHS 111 Wales. 

Commissioners in England are also progressing their planned procurement, which is work that has been under way since 2016. 

You may be aware that Shropdoc has faced some financial challenges during 2017. We have been working with Shropdoc (and with Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group) since the summer to support them whilst they address those challenges. Together we have been supporting Shropdoc to make internal changes which will help address the financial pressures without impacting on patient care, and the organisation is optimistic these will be successful. Shropdoc, the CCGs and ourselves are committed to making sure the service continues to provide appropriate level of quality care during the transition. 

Understandably, we want to assure patients that our priority is to ensure that local people have access to out-of-hours primary care if they need it. A key area where patients can help us by making sure that they order repeat prescriptions in plenty of time from their practice, so that out of hours is used to help people whose need is more urgent. This is particularly important during the festive season we would encourage patients to ensure they order repeat prescriptions well before bank holiday weekends. Over the coming weeks we will keep you updated on our plans for implementing NHS 111 Wales from Spring 2018, and we welcome your views. 

To share your experiences of NHS 111 Wales and your comments & questions please contact powys.engagement@wales.nhs.uk