Each call to 'ineffective' NHS Direct costs £16 - The Telegraph 1st March 2008

Every call answered by NHS Direct costs taxpayers more than £16 despite attempts to cut costs at the health helpline.# A single telephone query is almost as expensive as a visit to a GP, official figures show. The 24-hour service, which was started in 1998, was designed to dispense simple medical information and help prevent patients clogging up GPs' surgeries, saving money.

Link to Article