'Worst' NHS 111 service contract extended in Devon

The South Western Ambulance Service runs the service in Devon and Cornwall and commissioners said an "improvement plan" was working

The contract for an NHS 111 service which is the worst in England for answering calls within 60 seconds has been extended for a further six months, health bosses have confirmed.

Only 61% of calls have been answered in time so far this year in Devon.

The South Western Ambulance Service runs the service in Devon and Cornwall and commissioners said an "improvement plan" was working.

The national target is for 95% of calls to be answered within 60 seconds.

Fined for missing target

The average across England so far this year is 94% and the service in Devon failed to meet the national target between November 2014 and July 2015 - the most recent figure available.

The ambulance service was expected to end the contact in March 2016 because the "current operating model is not sustainable".

The Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) has fined the ambulance service from January to the beginning of July for missing the target.

The commissioner said the service was performing better since an improvement plan had been agreed.

The NEW Devon CCG has extended the contract until October 2016.

It added the contract had been extended so it could find a new provider because NHS England has planned for all NHS 111 services to be merged with out-of-hours doctors' services.