'Just 13% of Luton calls to NHS 111 helpline answered within a minute on worst of days'

Only 13 per cent of people in Luton had their NHS 111 call answered in 60 seconds on the worst of days, a meeting heard.

Improvement work continues as the best figure is six in every ten calls within that target, the borough council's scrutiny health and social care review group was told.

An update on the work being overseen locally by the primary care access group was presented to the committee.

"Residents of Luton don't always realise how to access a GP," according to BLMK Clinical Commissioning Group director of primary care Nicky Poulain.

"We have to recognise it's not straightforward for some of our residents," she explained.

"So we've always said a clear message, call the GP practice if you know it or ring the 111 service. If you need healthcare 111 will navigate you through.

"If primary care access isn't working, people will attend the accident and emergency department.

"Particularly we know with our community in Luton people don't understand primary care, so they go to where they see accident and emergency.

"I need to be open and frank because we're aware the time it takes for the telephone to be answered in Luton if you ring 111.

"Some of my worst days have been when it's only 13 per cent of people having it answered in 60 seconds. The best we've had is about 60 per cent, so there's some very targeted work.

"Have they not got sufficient staff?" she asked. "Is it because the staff are there at the wrong time?

"But it's about 700 calls in a 24-hour period, which is considerably more than we had pre-pandemic."

Labour South councillor David Agbley asked whether patients were coming up against answering machines and not being able to speak to anyone in GP surgeries.

She replied: "We've got 26 practices working across the five primary care networks. We don't have that problem.

"We've a vibrant group of practices which collaborate. Services aren't in a condition where you've got that fear.

"I haven't got anyone in Luton where I've got contractual issues or where I need to serve remedial action plans on contracts, so I haven't got those concerns."

Liberal Democrat Stopsley councillor Richard Underwood, who chairs the review group, wondered whether "a section of the population still expect to ring up the GP and get an appointment that day, rather than going through the 111 pathway".

Ms Poulain explained: "It's that consistent message to our patients accessing (healthcare). It's got to be so easy for patients.

"If you don't know who the practice is or can't get through to the GP surgery and ring 111, you can get directly bookable appointments.

"Each practice has to nominate a number of appointment slots to make it easy. This is where we're looking at the urgent same day appointment.

"We know we've got resources in the system, so it's getting the right person to the right place at the right time."

Describing primary care access as the front door, she added: "If you can't get into the service then clearly the patient's experience isn't going to be a good one.

"Many times it's families and individuals with what are complex issues and aren't regular attendees.

"That's where we're supporting the primary care network, particularly on the health side with infrastructure, but equally there's a huge amount of training and education.

"Training for the reception staff because that's the first thing patients experience when they arrive, while making primary care vibrant and an exciting place to work so we attract good staff."