A health watchdog has reported that one million patients contact NHS Direct services every month.
A first-of-its-kind report on NHS Direct services from the Commission for Health Improvement says NHS Direct services currently handle 500,000 telephone calls and 500,000 Internet enquiries a month across England and Wales. Since it was founded, an average 10% of the population has contacted NHS Direct every year.
The service advises on a diverse range of issues such as diets, gout and ovarian cysts. While the service is undoubtedly popular and provides high quality advice and reassurance, growing demand is putting pressure on the call centers. The service is about to introduce organizational changes to embrace the growing demand and improve coordination between other healthcare services.
NHS Direct’s telephone helpline service was first piloted in March 1998 and, following a positive reception, launched in November 2000. The service provides health information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and aims to provide fast and easy access to advice and information on health topics, illnesses and NHS services. From April 2004, a dedicated provider will be established with responsibility for the delivery of the service, and in England a key development priority is to integrate NHS Direct with Primary Care Practitioner out of hours services.
Although the report says that increasing demand has meant that some call centers are experiencing capacity problems, the growth clearly illustrates a shift in patient expectations of health services. The results highlight that patients in the UK are now prepared to use a wide range of channels in their search for healthcare information. In addition, it shows the capabilities of healthcare providers to tailor their services to meet demand.
