Seven months after it was due to be operating 24/7, the 111 non-emergency health telephone line has been fully launched in Wiltshire.
The service, operated by private company Harmoni from a call centre in Bristol, was beset by problems since it started operating in March with call handlers sending ambulances to inappropriate calls such as patients who had sore throats and hiccups.
As a result Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset Clinicial Commissioning Groups delayed the full roll out of 111 with Harmoni operating it at weekends and evenings only. Wiltshire Medical Services, the GP out of hours service, also answered some of the calls while Harmoni made improvements.
Wiltshire CCG told Wiltshire Council’s Health Select Committee last week that the full roll-out of 111 by Harmoni took place on October 28.
The CCG said that Harmoni was recruiting 65 additional staff to cope with anticipated demand during the winter.
CCG chairman Dr Steve Rowlands said the CCG would continue to monitor Harmoni’s performance on a regular basis.
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