The Department of Health has decided to stop the medical helpline NHS Direct. As a result, the health employees in East Lancashire are afraid that they may lose their jobs.

The Health Department mentioned that the old service will be replaced by a new non-emergency number, 111.

For getting health-related advices on NHS Direct, people were required to dial the number 0845 46 47. But now, they will have to dial 111 to get any health information.

The NHS Direct was very popular among people and it is said that as many as 27,000 people have been benefited from the service.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the implementation of the new phone number will enable the local GPs, ambulance crews, emergency doctors, and 24/7 working pharmacists to work in a coordinated and efficient way.

Many experts believe that people will no longer be able to speak to nurses who have a valid degree. They will now get advices from those call-handlers, who have just done a crash course in a medical course.

NHS Direct is putting all its efforts to work in close coordination with the local health communities to make the new NHS 111 service easily approachable for patients in order to make it more successful.