RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The impact of NHS Direct on the demand for out-of-hours primary and emergency care
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 790
OP 792
VO 55
IS 519
A1 James Munro
A1 Fiona Sampson
A1 Jon Nicholl
YR 2005
UL http://bjgp.org/content/55/519/790.abstract
AB In order to assess the impact of NHS Direct on out-of-hours primary and emergency care, we sought data on service demand from all GP cooperatives, ambulance services and emergency departments in England, Wales and Scotland. We analysed the impact of NHS Direct on demand, taking advantage of the fact that the service was introduced in waves over a period of 2 years. The results showed that the introduction of NHS Direct was associated with a reduction in calls to GP cooperatives, but with no evident effect on emergency services.