One week ago, while touring Basingstoke Hospital, Health Minister Andrew Lansley casually announced the Coalition Government’s plan to axe the NHS Direct service, the 24 hour nurse led helpline which takes over 12,000 calls every day.
The Coalition have subsequently stated their intention to replace it with a “cheaper” service 111, with only one nurse on each shift.
This public announcement was news to the 3,400 staff at NHS Direct who had heard nothing of the proposals, To date, staff still have had no formal confirmation of the plans from Mr Lansley or the Department of Health. UNISON has also sought and failed to secure clarification on who is to run the new service.
Despite not being informed of these developments, UNISON has offered to be involved in making any new service a success. The union does not in principle oppose the development of the 111 service, maintaining that NHS Direct should be the basis of any new service.
UNISON remains concerned that should the Coalition not go ahead with NHS Direct as the main element of the new service, patients would simply be forced to attend overloaded A&E departments or GP clinics in even greater numbers. Last year NHS Direct helped avoid 1.5m attendances to A&E.
You can help defend NHS Direct service and staff by
Signing the petition to Save NHS Direct.
http://www.savenhsdirect.co.uk/
Write to your local MP and urge them to ensure that NHS Direct becomes the basis of the proposed 111 service.
