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Responses > Mental Health of Emergency Call Handlers and Dispatchers

Freedom of Information request Mental Health of Emergency Call Handlers and Dispatchers

Response published: 8 April 2025

FOI Request

I am a final-year PhD student at University College London’s Division of Psychiatry (UCL DoP). My research focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS emergency and urgent call-handlers and dispatchers in England. This study has received ethical approval from both the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA - Ref: 331921) and the UCL Research Ethics Committee (REC - Ref: 26015/001). The role of NHS emergency and urgent call-handlers and dispatchers is incredibly diverse, and these professionals provide vital support across various services within your Trust, including: • NHS 999 ambulance services, coordinating urgent and emergency responses. • NHS 111 services, including helplines for mental health, physical health, and CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). • Specialist NHS helplines, such as those supporting Crisis Teams (e.g., Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams [CATT], Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams [CRHTT]) or Single Point of Access (SPA) services, ensuring timely and appropriate care. As part of my research, I would like to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding the workforce mentioned above within your NHS Trust. Specifically, I am seeking: • The total number of NHS emergency and/or urgent call-handlers and/or dispatchers currently employed. • The mean and median age of these professionals, and a breakdown by age categories (number of staff in each age category) • A breakdown by sex (number of females and males in each category). • A breakdown by ethnicity, using the following categories only: (1) Asian, (2) Black, (3) Mixed or multiple ethnic groups, (4) White, or (5) Other ethnic groups (including the number of staff in each category). Please note that individual Trust data will not be analysed separately; instead, it will be combined with data from other NHS Trusts to assess whether the staff participating in the study are representative of the wider NHS 999 or 111/Urgent helpline workforce.

FOI Response

Freedom of Information Request – Ref: GHC-13032025-265847

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below:

You asked:

I am a final-year PhD student at University College London’s Division of Psychiatry (UCL DoP). My research focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS emergency and urgent call-handlers and dispatchers in England.

This study has received ethical approval from both the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA – Ref: 331921) and the UCL Research Ethics Committee (REC – Ref: 26015/001). The role of NHS emergency and urgent call-handlers and dispatchers is incredibly diverse, and these professionals provide vital support across various services within your Trust, including:

• NHS 999 ambulance services, coordinating urgent and emergency responses. • NHS 111 services, including helplines for mental health, physical health, and CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). • Specialist NHS helplines, such as those supporting Crisis Teams (e.g., Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams [CATT], Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams [CRHTT]) or Single Point of Access (SPA) services, ensuring timely and appropriate care.

As part of my research, I would like to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding the workforce mentioned above within your NHS Trust. Specifically, I am seeking:

• The total number of NHS emergency and/or urgent call-handlers and/or dispatchers currently employed.

• The mean and median age of these professionals, and a breakdown by age categories (number of staff in each age category)

• A breakdown by sex (number of females and males in each category).

• A breakdown by ethnicity, using the following categories only: (1) Asian, (2) Black, (3) Mixed or multiple ethnic groups, (4) White, or (5) Other ethnic groups (including the number of staff in each category).

Please note that individual Trust data will not be analysed separately; instead, it will be combined with data from other NHS Trusts to assess whether the staff participating in the study are representative of the wider NHS 999 or 111/Urgent helpline workforce.

Our response:

Please see the link below:

FOI GHC-13032025-265847

Next steps:

Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:

Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk

If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.