Totally gets one-year extension to NHS 111 contract

Healthcare service provider Totally announced the extension of a contract with NHS England on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said the extension, awarded to Vocare, part of Totally Urgent Care, would cover 12 months from 16 February, with a yearly value of £13m.

Initially commissioned by NHS England to bolster call handling and clinical capacity for local NHS 111 services, the original 12-month contract was announced on 16 January 2023 with an annual budget of £10m.

The contract extension signified an augmented level of support in response to the sustained demand for NHS 111 services.

“Totally has significant experience in providing quality, resilient and responsive NHS 111 services,” said chief executive officer Wendy Lawrence.

“To date we have answered almost half a million calls as part of the NHS England's National Resilience programme.

“These calls would otherwise have gone unanswered leaving those seeking to access care without the support they needed.”

Lawrence said that as demand had increased, Totally had increased capacity to help ensure that calls to NHS 111 nationally were not abandoned.

“The extension of this contract for a further year means that Totally continues to be a core partner in the delivery of NHS 111 services until February 2025.”

At 0858 GMT, shares in Totally were up 9.41% at 5.06p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.