NHS 111 calls could soon be handled by robots, report says

NHS 111 calls could be handled by robots within the next two years, a leaked report suggests.

An evaluation by NHS England says close to 16 million enquiries could be dealt with by algorithms rather than human operators by 2020.

The draft report, seen by the Telegraph, is said to call for new solutions in the face of growing financial pressure on the NHS.

It reportedly claims that a quarter of 111 calls will be dealt with online by next year - covering up to a third of demand by 2020.

The new system is set to be rolled out across England by the end of 2019.

Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, criticised the move, telling the Telegraph: “I think these plans make very unfortunate assumptions, that everyone has access to computers and smartphones, when in fact many elderly people do not.

“I think it’s also wrong to assume that people want to deal with their health in such a depersonalised way and I would be very fearful of the kind of mistakes that could be made, when you are relying on people who are poorly and often confused to work their way through computer questionnaires."

An NHS England spokesman told the Standard: “NHS 111 Online offers an additional route for urgent medical advice as an extra option - alongside telephone advice or a face-to-face consultation.

"If it frees up time for staff to spend with those patients who do prefer a direct conversation, that should be a win-win."