The “astonishing” number of abandoned calls to NHS24 in recent months has been revealed today by the Scottish Conservatives.
A Freedom of Information Request from the party has found over 240,000 calls went unanswered between September 2021 and January this year. Over this period, an average of almost 50,000 calls per month made by people to the NHS 111 number failed to be connected.
The highest number of abandoned calls occurred in September 2021 when 68,119 were left unanswered, while over the festive period in December over 46,000 calls were abandoned.
Shadow Health Secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figures are especially concerning, given that patients have been urged to call NHS 24 before turning up at emergency wards to ease the strain on over-stretched A&E departments.
He warned this had created another dangerous bottleneck in Scotland’s NHS, which is now at “absolute breaking point”.
Dr Gulhane added that SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has taken his eye off the ball and failed to give this crucial service the resources it needs to provide support to patients as quickly as possible.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP, said: “The number of abandoned calls to NHS24 is astonishing and deeply concerning.
“Patients have been encouraged to use NHS 24 as a first port of call before going to Scotland’s desperately over-stretched A&E wards, so some of these calls will relate to serious conditions.
“This has created another dangerous bottleneck in our NHS, which is at absolute breaking point under the SNP. Potentially life-threatening incidents are likely to have been missed as a result of so many calls not being connected.
“Having an average of almost 50,000 calls a month going unanswered is completely unacceptable and unsustainable. It is systematic of a health service in crisis on the SNP’s watch despite the heroic efforts of those working and volunteering in our NHS.
“Humza Yousaf has completely failed to step up and give NHS24 the resources they need. All too often he is taking his eye off the ball and only reacting when it is too late.
“These figures must act as a catalyst for the SNP’s Health Secretary to urgently outline a plan that will guarantee patients can be confident their calls to NHS24 will be answered at all times.”
Notes: The Freedom of Information Request is attached.
- A total of 240,690 calls went unanswered (abandoned) during September 2021- January 2022. This works out as average of 48,138 calls per month not being answered over this five month period.