Northern Ireland minister orders pause to Phone First cuts
Health trusts have been asked to hold off on ending the telephone triage service while its future is reviewed amid tight budgets.
Key points
- Northern Ireland's health minister told trusts still running Phone First to pause plans to end it, according to BBC News NI.
- The Belfast Trust has already scrapped the service, which was due to end in the Northern Trust on 27 November.
- The Northern Trust says the formal withdrawal is paused so the service can be reassessed.
- The health budget faces a projected £800m shortfall, which has driven the savings drive.
- Calls to the service hit a record in September, and two thirds of callers were referred to emergency departments.
Northern Ireland’s health minister has told health trusts that have not yet ended their Phone First telephone triage service to pause any plans to stop it, according to BBC News NI. The Department of Health said affected trusts will be talking with their outside providers about an extension.
The Belfast Trust has already scrapped the service. The Northern Trust had been set to end its line late in November. On Thursday, Suzanne Pullins, who serves as the trust’s interim head, told the Stormont Health Committee that staff had been asked to halt the formal withdrawal so the service can be reassessed. The Western Trust is also reviewing its position.
What Phone First does
Phone First was introduced in late 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, to lower the risk of infection in crowded emergency waiting rooms. Patients call a dedicated number before travelling to hospital, and staff advise whether they need an emergency department or can be treated elsewhere. The service is meant for urgent but not life-threatening cases, and people are still told to call 999 when a life is at risk.
Each trust ran its own version, with different hours and phone numbers. The service costs about £500,000 a year to run, according to figures given to the committee.
Why the cuts were made
The trusts have been asked to find large savings. The Northern Trust was asked to make £53.8m this year, and the wider health budget faces a projected £800m shortfall. Claire Corry, Director of Finance at the Belfast Trust, said the decision was frustrating but was the least bad option available. Chief Executive Jennifer Welsh said savings had to be delivered without harming service users.
Committee members raised concern last month that the cuts were coming just as emergency departments prepare for winter pressures. Pullins said the decision did not reflect poorly on the service itself, which she described as highly valued, but she said the trust faced hard decisions because of how large the required savings were.
Disputed evidence on use
Welsh told an Assembly committee meeting on 22 October that uptake had not been high and the service had little impact. Figures for Northern Ireland as a whole, however, show usage rising over the past six years. The Belfast Telegraph reported that calls reached their highest ever level in September, the same month the Belfast Trust closed its line. That month there were 18,263 calls, and 12,098 of them, or 66%, led to referrals to emergency departments.
Committee chair Philip McGuigan of Sinn Féin said the service may have kept more than 6,000 callers out of emergency departments in September alone. The committee agreed to write to the Department of Health about the future of the service.
Other trusts have given different positions. The Western Trust said no decision had been made and the service was operating as normal. The South Eastern Trust said its services at Lagan Valley and Downe hospitals would remain unchanged, while the Southern Trust said it had no plans to withdraw Phone First.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Phone First service being paused?
Northern Irelandu0026#039;s health minister has asked trusts that have not yet ended the service to pause any plans to stop it. The Department of Health said the trusts will seek an extension from their external providers.
What is Phone First?
Phone First is a telephone triage system that lets patients call before going to hospital. Staff advise whether they need an emergency department or can be treated another way, and it is meant for urgent but not life-threatening cases.
Which trusts have ended or changed Phone First?
The Belfast Trust has already scrapped the service. The Northern Trust had planned to close its line on 27 November but has been asked to pause that withdrawal, and the Western Trust is reviewing it.
Sources
This article was written with the help of AI from reports by the outlets listed above. See our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
