They have also developed a solution where at the end of a transaction you get a callback by an automated service to confirm your payment, it reads the transaction through IVR and at the end you type in a PIN to confirm.
At the end of the call the system recommends the best course of action, which might be a callback from a doctor, an appointment or a 999 call to the ambulance service.
He also welcomed the call for better collaboration between the local authorities in order to ensure a more effective service and cut back on expenditure.
Operators answering calls to the existing NHS Direct service do not have the capacity to request ambulances or book appointments - and patients also receive a separate callback if they need to speak to a nurse or doctor.