NHS: Telephone Services

Mike Penning

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were taken by NHS Direct in each month in 2007; and what the average cost to the public purse was of each call in 2007. (208425)

The information is shown in the following table:

2007	Total number of calls taken
January	682,892
February	602,188
March	619,917
April	635,812
May	678,417
June	669,796
July	690,831
August	662,927
September	632,120
October	687,531
November	707,862
December	724,483
Total¹	7,994,776
¹ Figures are for all calls to NHS Direct which includes calls to 0845 46 47 and other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners.

The average cost per call in the financial year 2007-08 was £15.35.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to NHS Direct in (a) 2007 and (b) 2006; what the forecast number of calls for each of those years was before the start of each year; and if he will make a statement. (208426)

The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table.

Calls made to NHS Direct	Actual	Forecast
2006-07¹	8,296,972	9,500,000
2007-08²	9,018,148	9,900,000
¹ Figures are provided for the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08. ² Figures are for all calls to NHS Direct which includes calls to 0845 46 47 and other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners.

Calls made to NHS Direct

Actual

Forecast

2006-07¹

8,296,972

9,500,000

2007-08²

9,018,148

9,900,000

¹ Figures are provided for the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08.

² Figures are for all calls to NHS Direct which includes calls to 0845 46 47 and other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners.

Volume 477: debated on Monday 16 June 2008