20 February 2007.

NHS DIRECT – A POWER OF GOOD IN STAFFORD

Stafford’s Labour MP David Kidney has praised NHS Direct – both for its benefits for the nation’s health and for jobs in Stafford. Around 100 people work for NHS Direct at the Stafford Call Centre, which David Kidney visited last week.
David Kidney says the future of the jobs in Stafford was reviewed recently:
“The whole NHS Direct set-up was reviewed recently and as a result some of the smaller Call Centres around the country were closed. Happily, it was decided that there shall continue to be a Call Centre at Stafford, although not necessarily at the present location in Stafford hospital.

“NHS Direct has proved to be massively popular with over 7 million calls taken last year. At the Stafford Call Centre, this translates to 26,000 calls every month – and a complaints rate of 0.01%. It is so popular that there are times, for example Saturday mornings, when the public has difficulty in getting in touch by telephone.

“That is why I would encourage constituents to consider the other ways in which NHS Direct can be accessed in addition to telephone. Last year, NHS Direct On-line had 1.5 million hits. NHS Direct Digital can be accessed through digital TV on both Freeview and Sky.

“My visit to NHS Direct staff at the Stafford Call Centre last week showed me once again that we have dedicated and conscientious NHS workers keen to ensure that everyone has access to the best possible health services for free when they need help.”