NHS Direct must be saved
This week, ConDem health secretary Andrew Lanslay accidentally let slip that the goverment is to scrap NHS Direct. In it's place will be the much cheaper '111' service.
Firstly, the good points about this plan. Well, there's only one. 111 is a much easier number to remember than the current 8 figure number.
When NHS Direct was set up in 1998, it's purpose - as well as being a service to patients - was to ease pressure on both emergency services and GP's. Recent freedom of information figures released to the medical magazine Pulse showed that almost two thirds of calls (66%) were neithor emergency calls nor were sent to their GP as urgent/next-day cases, thus achieving one of the main aims that it was set up for..
Of the remaining calls 22% were told to go to their GP the next day and 12% of callers were sent to A&E or put in an ambulance. The people making the calls that resulted in emergency or A&E treatment may not have thought of their condition as worthy of dialling 999, so may not have done, yet, got the emergency care they needed.
Indeed, several years ago, I was one of these people. I became ill and very tired. After sleeping for almost 24 hours straight, my Mother phoned NHS Direct, who told her 'Get him to hospital NOW!!!'. It is possible that I may have been taken to hospital anyway, but, it was the speed factor that saved me...as it turned out, I had meningitis. If it wasn't for that, I may not be here today to tell the tale.
Over 40% of NHS Direct staff are trained nurses. In contrast, non-specialist advisors on the new helpline will have completed a training course of just 60 hours. There will be just one nurse at each call centre. Effectively, the new service will simply be an information service for things such as finding the nearest dentist, details of pharmacy opening hours and the like.
This flies in the face of the things that NHS direct was set up for. Each extra 999 call means a potentially longer time for someone in a life threatening emergency to recieve help. I don't think I need to spell out the potential consequences of this.
There is an online petition to save NHS direct. David Cameron has promised a parlimentary debate if the number of signatures exceeds 100,000. Please take time out to sign and tell all your friends to do so as well. It can be found here : http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-nhs-direct.html
It is imperative that NHS Direct remains in place.
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