§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of NHS Direct on the number of patients visiting general practitioners in Leicestershire. [18497]
§ Ms BlearsSince NHS Direct east midlands was launched in February 1999 it has handled over 695,000 calls. This year alone it has handled over 340,000 calls. Where NHS Direct has acted as the first point of contact for patients seeking medical help out-of-hours, up to 50 per cent. of calls are handled without the need for onward referral to an out-of hours-doctor. By 2004 NHS Direct will be a one-stop gateway to out-of-hours health care passing on calls where necessary, to the appropriate general practitioner co-operative, including those in Leicestershire
NHS Direct is improving access to health care by advising callers which part of the national health service to contact. NHS Direct nurses routinely advise two out of three callers to use a more appropriate setting of care than the caller said they would otherwise have used. One in three callers are advised how to look after themselves at home.