SOUTH Western Ambulance Service is providing an ‘inadequate’ NHS 111 helpline and is putting patients at risk of harm, according to a damning new report.

The trust which operates ambulances in Swindon and Wiltshire has come under fire by the government care watchdog, Care Quality Commission, for the helpline it operates in Devon, Dorset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly when people ring with health advice.

Care UK runs the 111 helpline in Swindon and Wiltshire and the CQC is currently inspecting all NHS 111 services.

The inspection of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust was brought forward after concerns were raised by patients, staff and former members of staff.

Inspectors found that there were often not enough staff to take calls, or to give clinical advice when that was needed. Staff reported working long hours, many feeling high levels of stress and fatigue.

There was a high staff turnover and high sickness rates. Too many calls were abandoned, and patients were waiting too long for their calls to be answered and to be assessed, or to receive a callback with appropriate advice.

Calls were sometimes answered by staff who were not trained to assess patients' symptoms and there was a risk that patients needing urgent attention were not given priority or could be put into a long queue awaiting call back.

The trust has been told that it must make significant improvements by July.

In response to the report Ken Wenman, chief executive of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), said: “The trust has always been open and transparent and welcomes the CQC report into the delivery of NHS 111 services.

“We have already been working collaboratively with our commissioners, NHS Improvement and NHS England colleagues to make improvements.

“We are never complacent on patient safety. Could we do better? Of course we could. Will we learn from this inspection? Of course we will.”