Directory of Services latest

NHS England monitors the performance of our local Directory of Services (DoS) through a series of national key performance indicators. One of the current indicators looks at the way in which health advisors select services as they are presented on the DoS – with an expectation that the health advisor selects the very first (top) service offered by the DoS in 70% of calls. We have established a working group across the North East to continue to improve first choice selection.

NEAS has undertaken audits of its health advisors for the month of August, showing that health advisors selected the first choice on DoS in over 90% of calls. This demonstrates the ongoing focus by NEAS and its health advisors to ensure patients are referred to the correct service, and the increasing trust colleagues place in the Directory of Services to support them. 

We continue to support the NHS 111 First pilots in the North, Central and South ICP areas. Working with key stakeholders across the region, we look to increase the number of referral routes available via the DoS and support the patient accessing care in the right place, first time. As part of this, we will be focusing our efforts on the availability of services populated on the service finder. 

The service finder is a web-based tool that allows clinicians to search for services using the DoS. The NEAS Paramedic Pathfinder team is actively working with the DoS team to ensure any gaps on the directory are identified and addressed, and that access to service finder can support paramedic utilisation of a multitude of services moving forward.

In preparation for a new national campaign promoting NHS 111 online, we are reconvening the 111 online implementation working group meetings. The aim of the group will be to ensure that referral routes for online patients closely reflect that of telephony where appropriate/possible. If you would like to be involved in this group, please get in touch using the contact details below.

If you would like to check whether your service is on DoS, or if there are any queries around your service, please feel free to email the DoS team on NECSU.northeastdos@nhs.net. The team works Monday to Friday 9-5 and will respond to all emails within one working day.

Team update and contacts

Christina Popely has returned from maternity leave and resumes her position as Regional Directory of Services Lead for the North East. Thank you to David Merriweather who has now returned to his Project Management post within the network. You can contact team members using the details below:

• Christina Popely, Regional Directory of Services Lead - popely@nhs.net
• John Chapman, Local Directory of Services Lead (Sunderland CCG, South Tyneside CCG and Tees - chapman7@nhs.net
• Juliette Du Fossé, Local Directory of Services Lead (Northumberland CCG, North Tyneside CCG and Newcastle Gateshead CCG) - dufosse@nhs.net
• Nicola Reynoldson, Project Support Officer North East Directory of Services - reynoldson@nhs.net

For further information, you can also email NECSU.northeastdos@nhs.net.