NHS Direct Online

NHS Direct is a 24-hour telephone helpline led by National health Service nurses that offers information and advice to patients and the general public. The online service, while also an information resource, is different in that it does not offer consultations. Instead, it aims to sift the 100,000+ health-related sites on the internet and recommend those that offer good quality information.

The homepage is very easy to navigate, with a main menu to the left of the page and clear and accessible features links to the centre and right of the page. Pages on the site are kept short, so this site is easy to use if you have a small screen.

SPECIAL FEATURES

News & Features hosts a topical look at health information - the articles, located on the right handside menu of the homepage, are both contemporary and interesting.

Self Help Guide aims to be a first step to help you decide the best course of action when a common health problem arises. It offers a body key as a means of assessing what symptoms you or the sufferer may have, then asks a series of questions in order to establish what advice and action you need to follow, whether it is self-care, calling NHS Direct or dialling 999. Where the guide suggests self-care, it tells you what to do, what you can buy from a chemist that may help, and organisations to contact for further advice. There is also a glossary of conditions, a guide to stocking a simple medicine chest for the home, a section entitled 'How do I know if my baby is ill?', and another on how to identify an emergency.

A-Z Guide to the NHS This section, derived from the 1991 Patient's Charter, seeks to demystify the organisation and help you get more out of it.

Links to thousands of sources of help, advice and articles, importantly the national Electronic Library for Health (NeLH), but also to things as commercial as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide for tips on travel health.