NHS Direct: Operating Costs

Norman Lamb
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the public purse of a telephone call to NHS Direct was in each year since the service was established; and how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each such year.

Mr. Bradshaw
The information requested is available from 2004-05 onwards, when NHS Direct was established as a national service. The information is available in the following table.

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|       |Total calls to the 0845 4647 service answered (Thousand)|Cost per call (£)|
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|2004-05|5,368                                                   |22.61            |
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|2005-06|5,521                                                   |25.54            |
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|2006-07|5,009                                                   |25.49            |
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|2007-08|4,858                                                   |25.53            |
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