NHS Direct Performance

NHS Direct is committed to meeting all the national performance targets for the telephone-based services. During 2005/06 NHS Direct delivered substantial improvements in operational and clinical performance.

The percentage of abandoned calls is at its lowest level ever in the last two years.

Standards for starting clinical assessment of urgent calls within 20 minutes are being met.

The response times for non-urgent cases have improved dramatically. In 80% of all non-urgent calls and 90% of non-urgent GP Out of Hours calls, clinical assessment is started within the one-hour target.

In 2005/06 clinical effectiveness was improved without increasing

A third of all calls to NHS Direct are completed without the need to refer to any other service.

The proportion of calls referred to urgent end points (999, A&E and GP urgent) has fallen from 40% in September 2004 to 33% in September 2005.