Hundreds more paramedics and call handlers recruited to tackle winter pressures: NHSE

More than 1,700 additional paramedics and ambulance support staff have joined the emergency care workforce ahead of winter  

Acknowledging the potential pressure on the emergency care workforce due to winter viruses over the next few months, NHS England has recruited hundreds more paramedics and call handlers.

The number of 999 call handlers has been increased to 2,600 from 2,400 last December, up by eight per cent, and there are now 4,645 handlers taking the NHS 111 calls, 207 more (4.7 per cent) compared to last December, according to NHSE.

NHS figures showed that 999 service received the highest number of calls in October than any other month this year, with an average call answer time of nine seconds – five times faster than the average of 50 seconds last October.

There was incredibly high demand for NHS 111 last year, partly driven by concerns from parents about symptoms of Strep A, with over 720,000 calls received in one week at the peak (w/e 19 Dec 2022).

With more 111 call handlers this year, along with other measures outlined in the NHS urgent and emergency care recovery plan, the service answered almost twice the proportion of calls within a minute in the week ending 3 December (from 36 per cent to 67 per cent) as compared to the same week last year.

Also, more than 1,700 additional paramedics and ambulance support staff were recruited between December 2022 and August 2023, the NHS stated.

Health Minister, Andrew Stephenson, commented: “These hundreds of extra paramedics, call handlers and other emergency care staff are a vital boost to the NHS ahead of the busiest months. Alongside our Long Term Workforce Plan, we are building an NHS fit for the future.

“This is part of our robust winter plans which have already resulted in more ambulances on the roads, extra beds and the nationwide rollout of more than 10,000 virtual ward beds to treat people in the comfort of their own homes and reduce pressure on hospitals.”

Citing the latest figures, NHS national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, warned that hospitals are already under considerable strain.

Data for the week ending 3 Dec showed an extra 1,200 patients in hospital compared to the same week last year, due to increase in winter viruses – particularly norovirus.

“The latest figures show hospitals are already under considerable strain, with over 95,000 beds occupied and hundreds of patients admitted with viruses, which is why it is so important we have more colleagues with their shoulder to the wheel to help treat as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible,” Powis said.

Additionally, in preparation for winter, the NHS has rolled out care ‘traffic control’ centres, extra ambulances and beds, and expanded use of the innovative virtual ward programme nationwide.

Under pharmacy reforms, new services have been brought to the high street, including Pharmacy First Service, as part of the NHS and government’s primary care access recovery plan.

New contraceptive service will allow women to access the pill from pharmacies across the country without needing to contact their GP first.

Pharmacists will also increase the number of life-saving blood pressure checks given to at-risk patients over the next year with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by Spring 2025 – up from 900,000 carried out last year.  It is estimated to prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year.

Pharmacy First service will be launched in next month, and this will allow patients to get treatment for seven common conditions directly from a pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. The advanced service will cover sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

These new services are expected to free up to 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter, while improving patient care.