NHS Direct has launched an online cold and flu symptom checker to help people this winter.
The symptom checker – which uses procedures used by our call centre nurses to assess patients’ symptoms over the telephone – gives self care advice where appropriate and recommends a referral to a healthcare professional if necessary.
Depending on the information submitted by the user, the symptom checker may give the user the option to request a call back from an NHS Direct nurse advisor at a time to suit them.
The cold and flu symptom checker proved useful to many over the Christmas period alone, as 147,000 people used it to assess their symptoms.
An online contraception checker has also been launched on our website which is designed to deal with enquiries about emergency contraception, missed contraceptive pills, dislodged contraceptive devices, interactions with other medicines or failed contraceptives.
The contraception checker, which can be used anonymously, may recommend a range of different options depending on the information submitted by the user.
These include a conversation with an NHS Direct nurse advisor; a visit to the family planning service or GP to get a prescription for a contraceptive pill, or a visit to the nearest pharmacy to buy over the counter emergency contraception.
An anonymous web chat with an NHS Direct nurse is also offered if further assessment is advised.
