Nursing union fears loss of 300 jobs as NHS Direct cuts costs

New shift arrangements are being brought in as the new 111 number for non-emergency services is phased in, the union said.

Workers who are unable to join the new shift pattern will lose their jobs, including those with flexible working arrangements already in place, such as those caring for children or working less than 15 hours a week. The RCN also expressed fears for the future of disabled staff.

Those affected will have the option to reapply for any remaining shifts.

The RCN said it and other unions had been consulted on the changes and had opposed them.

In the short-term, 111 will run alongside existing local telephone services and NHS Direct but in the long-term it will become the single number for non-emergency care.

RCN chief executive Dr Peter Carter said patients value the service, which could cut referrals to GPs and trips to hospital.

“The evidence suggests that this expert advice has kept one and a half million people out of A&E, and saved the NHS £213m a year.

“Our fear is that patients, who can often be extremely worried or distressed, will receive a stripped back service from NHS 111, with more being advised to dial 999 or go to A&E, which is far more costly.

“At a time when the NHS as a whole is under pressure to make savings, it seems nonsensical that one part of the health service is in effect picking up the tab for another.”

Dr Carter said NHS Direct is not the only organisation tendering to deliver NHS 111 services. The new system will allow private and GP out-of-hours providers and the ambulance service, among others, to deliver the service.

“Not only will this fragmentation lead to yet more postcode lotteries across the country, we will also lose the highly beneficial national picture that NHS Direct statistics provide,” he said.