A PIONEERING medical helpline developed in Hampshire has helped more than 60,000 callers in its first year.

A special ceremony held to mark NHS Direct Hampshire's first anniversary was attended by health minister John Denham.

The Southampton MP said NHS Direct Hampshire would play an increasingly-important role in shaping the NHS of the future.

"It's part of the modernisation of the health service. It's about having a service that's accessible 24 hours a day giving help, advice and reassurance to people with busy lives.

"If you work and your children are unwell, you can get advice without taking the morning off work. I've used it myself for my children."

Calls to the helpline have risen from 875 a week six months ago to almost 3,000 now.

Mr Denham met 22-year-old Internet consultant Caroline Mogg who used the service over the Christmas holiday. She said: "GPs were so busy at the time and I was in bed with flu. I had never had it before and it felt so awful I thought it could be something more serious, like meningitis. But they put my mind at rest and were really helpful, and they even called me back later to see how I was, which was really nice."

The service is staffed by experienced nurses who take calls on everything from colds and twisted ankles to heart attacks and meningitis.

Nurse adviser Fiona Marot said: "We sometimes have to calm the caller down and get to the bottom of the problem as quickly as possible.

"I have 20 years of nursing experience, but this is a very different type of nursing.

"It's very rewarding to give such a one-to-one service to the caller. You also get instant feedback, which is great."

The NHS Direct number is 0845 4647. Calls are charged at the local rate.

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