Totally, the Derby-based provider of frontline healthcare services, corporate fitness and wellbeing services, has been awarded a contract extension by NHS England to provide national NHS 111 contingency services for a further year.
The contract, awarded to Vocare, part of Totally Urgent Care, will run for 12 months from 16 February 2024 at a value of £13 million per annum.
NHS England originally commissioned this support to provide additional call handling and clinical capacity to help to alleviate pressures on local NHS 111 services. The original 12-month contract was announced on 16 January 2023 and was for £10 million per annum.
The extension increases the level of support to be provided and reflects the ongoing demand for NHS 111. NHS 111 provides an essential service to the UK population, offering support as wide-reaching as over-the-telephone healthcare advice, to access to urgent and emergency care.
Wendy Lawrence, CEO of Totally, said: “Totally has significant experience in providing quality, resilient and responsive NHS 111 services. To date we have answered almost half a million calls as part of the NHS England’s National Resilience programme.
“These calls would otherwise have gone unanswered leaving those seeking to access care without the support they needed. As demand has increased, we have responded, increasing capacity to ensure that calls to NHS 111 across the country are not abandoned.
“The extension of this contract for a further year means that Totally continues to be a core partner in the delivery of NHS 111 services until February 2025.”
