Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of effectiveness of the NHS 111 service at (a) identifying and (b) recommending patients who can be treated in primary care settings instead of A&E departments.

No such assessment has been made. NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that NHS 111 seeks to recommend the best service for patients needs. This is based on the assessment of the stated symptoms either by NHS Pathways or by a clinician. Wherever possible, recommendation to an emergency department is avoided if another suitable service is available, including referral to primary care settings.