U-Turn over closure of NHS Direct
Commenting on reports that Health Minister Andrew Lansley has denied plans to shut down NHS Direct, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:"This is great news for patients and for staff at NHS Direct. The service that NHS Direct offers is tried and tested and is of great value to the public, as the outcry over the threat of closure shows. The service provides a reassuring voice for worried parents in the middle of the night and is a well of advice that the public can tap into 24 hours a day. Andrew Lansley should not have put nurses and staff in fear of their jobs in this way".
"I am sure staff will still be confused and worried that the Government may have another change of heart. I would like a guarantee from the health minister that the 1,300 nurses working for NHS Direct will still have a job there this time next year".
Save NHS Direct
NHS Direct is a 24 hour service that takes the pressure off the emergency services and provides much needed advice and support to people, and their families, when they need it mostThe government plans to scrap NHS Direct and it's 3,000 NHS dedicated specialist nurses and healthcare professionals, and replace it with private call centres.
It takes just a few minutes to make a difference
Thousands of us every year are helped by the dedicated staff on NHS Direct, providing advice, reassurance and information at a time we need it most.- Sign the petition to save NHS Direct. Help get the 100,000 signatures that Prime Minister David Cameron says should trigger a Commons debate.
Sign petition - Tell your local paper why you think NHS Direct shouldn't be scrapped. Have you, or someone you know, used NHS Direct in the past? How did it help you? Let people know why you think it's vital to save this service for the benefit of all.
Tell your local paper - Email your friends, family, and work colleagues and ask them to write to their local paper with their NHS Direct story, and sign the petition.
Email friends - If you haven't already, add your voice to the MiIlion Voices for Public Services campaign and help us to protect vital services.
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