Last week over 4,000 people in Scotland booked the NHS 24 callback option, figures seen by The Herald reveal.
According to the latest figures from NHS24, last week 4,705 people selected the ‘ring back’ option as they may have been unable to get through to an NHS 24 111 operator. NHS 24 111 service provides urgent care triage if someone thinks they need A&E but it’s not life-threatening.
The Scottish Conservatives have criticised the Scottish Government over this as they said the recent NHS callback figures may suggest more people are becoming "desperate" for support.
The news comes after The Herald recently revealed more than a quarter of a million NHS24 calls in Scotland were not picked up last year. These figures - obtained via a freedom of information request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats - showed that 16.5 % of calls to the NHS24 111 service went answered.
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NHS24 has stressed the callback service was introduced in order to allow people a choice to either receive a call later on from a staff member or wait in a queue.
Jo Edwards, NHS 24’s Director of Service Delivery: “NHS 24’s 111 service offers the callback option for people who would rather not wait on hold. We would stress that it is a choice for people and does not affect their place in the queue. Calls are answered as they come into the service whether on the hold or call back queue. It has proved to be a popular choice for patients, and we have received positive feedback since it was introduced.”
Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for health Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “I am deeply concerned at how overstretched our NHS is becoming with winter rapidly approaching.
“With thousands of people using this callback service it seems to suggest people are becoming increasingly more desperate for support as they can’t access it in other areas of our health service.
“The Health Secretary should be ashamed this is happening in our NHS.
“His out-of-touch calls last week that patients should be Googling their symptoms rather than turning to the NHS24 helpline shows a shocking contempt for those needing urgent care.
“Rather than advising people not to use this overburdened service, Neil Gray should be spending more time delivering one that can operate as it is needed to do – but he is too distracted by the scandal engulfing him.”
The Health Secretary Neil Gray has said a third of callers to the 111 service could find the information they need on the NHS Inform website in a bid to relieve pressure from the health service during winter.
The news follows the health secretary coming under fire for using ministerial cars to watch Aberdeen play in cup ties at Hampden.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “NHS 24 works hard to ensure calls to its 111 service are answered as quickly and safely as possible. Their callback service is for people who do not want to wait on hold, but prefer the option of being called back without losing their place in the queue.
“The Scottish Government has increased funding to NHS 24 by over £20 million for additional recruitment and the recent addition of a new call centre in Dundee. We will continue to support the service as it expands both its services and workforce.”
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