The NHS advice service is looking to expand its digital TV availability, it said on 29 September 2005.
NHS Direct which is available by phone, internet and on the Sky TV platform is continuing to gain in popularity, a spokesperson told Government Computing News. According to the latest figures, the website gets 1m hits per month and received 9m hits from 2004-5. This is an increase on the 1.5m hits it received in its first year of operation. The satellite channel NHS Direct Interactive Digital TV was launched in December 2004 on Sky and includes 2,500 pages of information on 280 health topics.
"We are looking at further developing NHS Direct digital TV," the spokesperson said. "The idea is that it becomes more widely available on other channels. We hope that eventually this will mean more choice for people."
So far, the plans for expanding the digital TV service are in the preliminary stages but more details should be available soon, the spokesperson said.
Speaking earlier at the annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Association, director of NHS Direct new media Bob Gann had highlighted the services now offered.
"We believe people should be given more choice as to how they access health information. At NHS Direct we provide a range of options to choose from including the telephone service, the website and our latest digital TV service and self-help guide which is now available to 18m homes in England," he said.
"Being able to make good choices is dependent on having access to the best information and advice and that's where NHS Direct has added real value in contributing to the health of our nation. It's there for them 24 hours a day, from the comfort of their own home."
Quelle: KableNET, 29.09.2005
