"NHS direct", thats what Blair wants to call the 24hr a day manned telephone service where people can phone to get medical advice rather than seeing a doctor or talking to their doctor directly.

This cheapskate practice happens all the time in the United states where so called 'advice nurses', although well versed in many common questions, have to read through MENUS to help panicking patients who could suffer severely if they misdiagnose over the phone line.

This is a dangerous practice and GPs in Scotland and England should simply tell Blair they will have nothing to do with this screwed up idea brought to do by the US health care BUSINESS...