NHS Direct
| Published: 20th April 2006 11:43 |
Call the NHS Direct telephone service on 0845 46 47 647 at any time of the day or night. You will be asked to provide some basic information about yourself and to describe the nature of your call. If you need advice about a health problem, you are asked if you are calling for yourself or on behalf of someone else and are asked to explain:
What the symptoms are, how they affect you/the person and when they began;
What you/the person have tried already;
Any drugs you/the person are already taking;
Any existing medical conditions;
Anything else you think is relevant.
If you are calling on behalf of someone else, that person needs to be in the same room as you so that the nurse can accurately assess their symptoms. NHS Direct nurses will use their skills and experience, together with a comprehensive computer system, to advise you on the most appropriate course of action to take.
With the right advice and information, lots of non-serious health problems can be treated at home or following a visit to your local pharmacist. If the problem is more serious, you may need to see your doctor or go to hospital. Whatever the problem, the NHS Direct nurse will listen to the symptoms you describe and advise you what to do for the best. If your problem is very serious, they will connect you to the ambulance service.
NHS Direct staff can also provide information on a wide range of healthcare topics – from helping you to find out more about diagnosed conditions and treatments to giving details of local health services. If you are calling from work, or somewhere with a switchboard, you may have to dial 0845 46 47 647.
Calls to NHS Direct cost a maximum of 4 pence per minute from a BT landline. The cost of calls from mobiles and other networks may vary. Your service provider may charge a minimum cost per call. For patients’ safety, calls to NHS Direct are recorded.
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