Nurses working for NHS Direct in the south west of England have staged a 'work in' protest against government plans to roll out the NHS 111 non-emergency hotline, which is expected to employ fewer nurses.
Nurses working for NHS Direct in the south west of England have staged a 'work in' protest against government plans to roll out the NHS 111 non-emergency hotline, which is expected to employ fewer nurses.
For 24 hours, off-duty nurses voluntarily came into work to demonstrate the importance of having registered nurses on the phones.
NHS Direct nurse Michelle Goodman said: 'We have been very successful in using the experience of senior nurses to provide a range of help and support, but I don't think this has been considered by those planning and implementing the NHS 111 service.'
NHS 111 will be rolled out across England from April next year.