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NHS Direct

This information was provided by NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight

 

What is NHS Direct?

NHS Direct operates a 24-hour nurse advice and health information service, providing confidential information on:

The telephone service is available in England and Wales and a similar service called NHS24 will soon be available in Scotland.

NHS Direct works hand in hand with other healthcare services provided by the NHS, helping you make the right choice to meet your needs. Calls to NHS Direct are charged at local rates and for patient's safety, all calls are recorded.

If you need health information or advice at any time of the day or night, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

Health Information

If you want to find out more about a particular health condition then our team of health information advisors are available to talk to you and send you free literature concerning over 3,000 health topics. They can also help if you need more general information about local health services – such as late night pharmacists, out-of-hours dentists or support groups.

Nurse Advice

Using his/her skill and experience, together with a comprehensive computer system, a NHS Direct nurse will go through your symptoms/problems and discuss with you the most appropriate form of care.

Some problems are very simple to treat yourself, or following the advice of a pharmacist. Other problems are more serious and you may need to see a doctor or go to hospital.

NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight (local information)

NHS Hampshire was launched in March 1999, the service was extended to incorporate the Isle of Wight in June 2000 and now covers a population of approximately 1.6 million.

NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight is hosted by Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and is based in Hedge End (near Southampton), there are currently over 200 members of staff who work for NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight and NHS Direct Online (the national website which is also hosted in Hampshire).

Staff who work for NHS Direct vary from nurses, to call handlers, management and various administration staff.

The number of calls received is always increasing and locally at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight site over 7,000 calls are taken per week by nursing and health information staff. This is a 15% increase compared to the same time last year and the trend looks set to continue with the service growing more and more popular.

Have your say!

We would like to hear your comments (both negative and positive!) about your experiences as a patient using the NHS Direct service.

The comments that we receive from both patients and members of the health community are always looked at in detail, and where necessary will be used to influence change to the service that we provide. We are always looking to improve the service, and your comments help us understand how we can make the service better for you by improving procedures and training.

Positive comments are always fed back to the individual involved (wherever possible).

If you would like to contact NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight then please write to us at the address below, or email us on professionalfeedback@hants-iow.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Freepost (SCE13683)
Hedge End
SO30 2BR

Patient/User Involvement Group

Putting patients first is our priority at NHS Direct and involving them in all that we do is becoming an integral part of our culture and everyday thinking.

The NHS Plan established the Government's clear intention that patients should be 'at the heart of the NHS'. It sees public and patient involvement as central to service planning and provision, and a major catalyst for service improvement.

NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight actively seeks to engage patients, the public and other health professionals to use their experiences to improve the service.

The benefits of involvement are for everyone - better advice and information, increased patient satisfaction, ‘joined up thinking’ within the local NHS, and a strengthening of public confidence in the service.

Whether you have used the service or not we are still keen to hear from you and understand your perceptions and experiences of NHS Direct. Patients, patient representatives from local support groups, health care professionals, or other members of the public are invited to express an interest to join the Patient/User Involvement Group panel.

We will be arranging events, surveys, and specific focus groups throughout the year that we will invite you to attend (membership of the Patient/User Involvement Group is a voluntary role but the Trust meets any travel and subsistence costs incurred to attend meetings and activities).

If you are interested in joining the group, please email Rachel Weaver at comms@hants-iow.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or in writing to:

Rachel Weaver
Acting Communications Manager
NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Freepost (SCE13683)
Hedge End
SO30 2BR

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

As a patient, relative or carer sometimes you may need to seek help, advice or support. This is where the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help.

PALS will act independently when handling patients and families with concerns, liasing with staff and managers both internal and external to the organisation where appropriate to ensure a prompt solution is found.

Where appropriate, patients can be referred to specific local or nationally based agencies.

Our PALS manager is here to:

The PALS service is contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Telephone: 0845 600 2246
Fax: 01962 84 31 73
Email: pals@hantsam.nhs.uk

Postal address:
PALS Manager
Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Highcroft
Romsey Road
Winchester
SO22 5DH

* NHS Direct Hampshire & Isle of Wight/NHS Direct Online are part of Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust *

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