NHS Direct access pledge

NHS chief executive Nigel Crisp has pledged to improve links between NHS Direct and out-of-hours GP services.

His comments came during last week's Commons public accounts committee meeting which was examining the findings of the National Audit Office report into the telephone helpline.

The report praised the work of NHS Direct since it was launched four years ago - saying it provided good value for money by alleviating pressures on primary care and accident and emergency departments. But it stressed that links with out-of-hours services would need careful management.

Mr Crisp said: 'The big issue which we are clear about is developing the links with out-of-hours GP services so people can ring just one telephone number. It has been piloted very successfully.

'We have a lot of ideas here and another one being piloted is the linkage with 999 calls so that some 999 calls can be directed off into other areas of the service for people who do not need an emergency ambulance.'

Members of the committee congratulated NHS Direct on its work, but during the session they highlighted concerns that the number of nurses needed for the service was taking staff away from frontline care.

In reply Mr Crisp said: 'The total number of nurses [staffing NHS Direct] is around 1,150 full-time equivalents which is a very small proportion. . . .It also provides opportunities for those who cannot do heavy lifting or need parttime options, bringing people into nursing who otherwise couldn't join the profession.'

He added that a human resources strategy was being developed to 'minimise the impact' on the NHS.

The NAO report also claimed that despite a high level of satisfaction among users - at least 90 per cent - some callers had waited too long to speak to nurses.

Committee chair Edward Leigh demonstrated first-hand evidence of effective call prioritisation when he revealed he had carried out his own 'experiment' the night before by ringing NHS Direct himself.

'It took an hour-and-a-half for them to ring me back, ' he said.

There was initial shock among members which subsided, however, when the Tory grandee added wistfully: 'I think it may have been due to the fact that I told them I was conducting a parliamentary investigation.'