BMJ 2000;321:1077 ( 28 October )

Letters

Impact of NHS Direct on demand for immediate care

    Target communities show poor awareness of NHS Direct
    Service has not decreased attendance at one paediatric A and E department

Target communities show poor awareness of NHS Direct

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITORMunro et al found that NHS Direct had no discernible effect on the use of emergency ambulances or accident and emergency departments in the first year of operation, leading to a suggestion that this service may not prove cost effective.¹ The study is limited by an assumption that the population studied had complete awareness of the service. Six months after the introduction of East Midlands NHS Direct we had anecdotal evidence to suggest that many patients attending our accident and emergency department were unaware of the telephone advisory service.

Consequently we undertook a survey of 300 consecutive ambulatory patients (or their parents) who referred themselves to the accident and emergency department and had not contacted NHS Direct. We wanted to find out whether they were aware of the service. Altogether 266 (89%) questionnaires were completed, with 166 (62%) patients claiming to have had no previous awareness of NHS Direct. Furthermore, of . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

NHS Direct can help Accident and Emergency departments

Mike Sadler
bmj.com, 17 Nov 2000 [Full text]

NHS Direct growing pains

Kevin Mckenna
bmj.com, 20 Nov 2000 [Full text]