The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7396 p434
15 April 2006

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NHS Direct says job cut claims are inaccurate

Figures relating to potential call centre closures and staff redundancies at NHS Direct reported in the national media last week have been described as “inaccurate” by the organisation's managers.

A spokesman for NHS Direct told The Journal that the reports were based on a leaked document that was out of date. A press statement published last week confirmed that NHS Direct faces a number of significant financial and operational challenges which require it to reduce its costs and further improve performance. How these changes will be managed is the subject of a staff consultation until 17 April.

Anne Joshua, national pharmacy adviser for NHS Direct, told The Journal that although it is too early to comment on job losses, she can confirm that a national service level agreement with the UK medicines information service to provide training and support to NHS Direct advisers will continue next year.