The London Ambulance Service (LAS) has emerged as the chosen provider, in partnership with London Central and West (LCW), to offer NHS 111 services to the 1.5 million residents of North Central London.
The new contract, valued at £19 million per year, will come into effect from November 2023 and will include the responsibility for 111 and GP out-of-hours services in five London boroughs – Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Islington, and Haringey.
One of the major benefits of this new contract is the expected increase in ‘consult and complete’ services, ensuring that patients’ needs are met within two hours. This streamlined approach aims to provide more responsive and efficient care to the community.
Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive for London Ambulance Service, said: “I’m so pleased that the North Central London Integrated Care System awarded their 111 contract to LAS as the lead provider in partnership with London Central and West.
“We will use the strengths of both organisations to put in place more responsive care models for both the 111 and GP out-of-hours services.
“Our hard working staff are experts in receiving and responding to urgent and emergency calls, and this latest development builds on our years of experience of hosting the NHS 111 service in other areas of London.
“It will allow us to bring together our emergency and urgent care services for an additional 1.5 million people, and we are very excited to begin.
“This latest development means we are now the lead or sole provider of 111 in four of the five areas of London (South East, North East, North West and North Central) with a small role in South West London, so we’re extending our footprint to cover all of London for this service.
“It really is a great example of LAS working in partnership with other providers to create a compelling offer for our commissioners and a good deal for patients.”
Fred Worth, Chairman of London Central & West UCC Ltd, said: “As a GP-led not-for-profit organisation, we are proud to play such a vital part in ensuring patients can access urgent care quickly.
“Working with our partners, we have demonstrated, over many years, the value that LCW brings to the healthcare system and are delighted to continue to deliver this service to the patients of North Central London.”
