NHS Direct considers impact of closures

NHS Direct has said that its hopes of winning NHS 111 contracts should not be affected by having to close three call centres.

The East of England Ambulance Service, which owns the space in which two of the three call centres are housed, has asked the health helpline to vacate it. The third centre, which depends for support on the other two, has to close as a result.

NHS Direct will close call centres in Chelmsford and Ipswich by May next year, and another centre in Norwich by September 2012.

NHS Direct’s five year business plan, published in June, says the service plans to become a major provider of the government’s new NHS 111 service.

An NHS Direct spokesperson told eHealth Insider the service was still considering the implications of the call centre closures, but they should not greatly affect its ambition to become a major provider of NHS 111.

“In terms of the space we have got that’s not too much of an issue. We’ve got space right across the country and we don’t feel that it is going to have a significant impact on the NHS 111 contracts.”

NHS Direct is involved in current pilots of the NHS 111 service in three areas around the UK.

Unions have expressed concern about the 120 staff at the three centres that are to close, and about the closures' impact on the East Anglian economy and the ability of NHS Direct to deliver its advice service.

However, NHS Direct has stressed that it has yet to make any decision about the future of the workers, who may be able to deploy to other centres or work from home.

“It’s about making a decision, and making it as easy as possible for them. We will be working with the staff and finding the easiest option for them.”

The service found out last week that it would need to leave the East Anglian call centres. It is understood the ambulance service needs the call centre seats to handle an increased number of emergency calls.