The management of the nurse led 24 hour telephone advice service provided by NHS Direct in England is to be taken over by the new NHS 111 phone service, the government has confirmed.

Less than a week after a pilot of the NHS 111 service began, the Department of Health has confirmed it will take charge of the phone advice service provided by NHS Direct.

NHS Direct will have to compete with other organisations such as GP out of hours service providers and ambulance trusts to carry on providing the helpline service for 111, but will retain its other functions in providing health information.

NHS 111 is a new phone service designed to give patients access to non-emergency NHS health care. It has just begun piloting in County Durham and Darlington and, after other pilots later this year, will be rolled out nationally …