U-turn over NHS Direct.

摘要

Earlier reports that NHS Direct was to be abolished signalled the determination of the new coalition government to implement bold cost-cutting measures to reduce the public sector deficit. Yet, after a brief campaign fronted by former deputy prime minister John Prescott (who has changed his twitter picture to a 'Save NHS Direct' button), and former health ministers Frank Dobson (who launched the service in 1998) and Andy Burnham (trying to raise his profile in the current Labour leadership tussle), health secretary Andrew Lansley has backed down. It turns out that he now merely plans to change the NHS Direct phone number. It appears that the government has belatedly recognised that the symbolic value of the national healthcare advice telephone line is well worth the cost of pound123 million a year.