Our health information service continues to provide valuable information to callers during the spring months. We answered an average of 32,356 health information enquiries per month in spring 2009.
After winter many people’s thoughts turn to planning a summer holiday, and callers often require information about the health aspects of foreign travel. It’s essential to find out whether you need any vaccinations, especially if you’re travelling to a far-flung destination. Do this in plenty of time, ideally at least two months before your holiday, as some vaccines need time to take effect.
To find out which vaccinations are required for your destination, call NHS Direct or consult www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk.
We also frequently receive calls about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as people plan ahead for a summer break on the continent. An EHIC allows you to access state healthcare in European Economic Area countries and Switzerland at either reduced cost or free of charge. Apply for yours online or call 0845 606 2030.
Media reports about health often have a direct effect on the type of health information enquiries we receive. A recent example is swine fl u, which prompted calls as soon as it was reported in the media. Other calls originate from news stories about new treatments or risks to health. In all cases we aim to provide callers with balanced and unbiased facts – health risks are often much less serious than news stories suggest! And new ‘miracle cures’ are sometimes not as promising as you might think. The ‘Behind the Headlines’ service on www.nhs.uk provides evidence-based analysis of health stories in the news and we often rely on it when assisting callers. You can access it yourself by clicking on Behind the Headlines.
