HC Deb 20 January 2000 vol 342 cc582-3W
Mr. Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS Direct calls received each day between 27 December and 12 January were from people complaining of influenza symptoms; and what percentage of these callers were instructed to go to hospital. [105679]

Ms Stuart

NHS Direct received in total 194,521 calls between 27 December and 12 January. Indications are that between 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. of calls during this period related to influenza symptoms. During this period the overall proportion of callers who were advised to attend their accident and emergency department was 6 per cent. and 2 per cent. of callers were diverted to the 999 service.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if a person who has been instructed to go to hospital by NHS Direct and is found to have influenza is included in the official influenza figures. [105678]

Ms Stuart

Influenza activity in England is monitored through the Royal College of General Practitioners sentinel surveillance scheme. This records the number of first visits to a general practitioner with influenza-like illness. Other respiratory illnesses prevalent at this time of year are recorded separately.

This system cannot measure the real incidence of influenza since it is restricted to those people who visit their general practitioner. Patients of the type referred to are therefore not included. This year a major campaign was run to encourage people to choose their own remedy, to consult a pharmacist and to use NHS Direct, as alternative sources of advice.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses working for NHS Direct were, in their previous employment, working full-time in the NHS. [105672]

Ms Stuart

NHS Direct accounts nationally for 600 (whole-time equivalent) nurses, a small number against the overall size of the nursing workforce, which is 332,000 (whole-time equivalent) in England (as of 30 September 1998). Specific information, such as the previous employment of NHS Direct nurses is not collected centrally. NHS Direct has deliberately recruited nurses from a wide range of different backgrounds: hospitals, primary care, outside the NHS. Some will be from a hospital background but others will be from primary care or will have been working outside the NHS. NHS Direct has also provided opportunities for the disabled and those who had to stop working in the ward\hospital because of other injuries. Many staff who work for NHS Direct do so on a part time basis allowing them to combine working for NHS Direct with other clinical duties.