Public flocks to sign NHS petition

An ONLINE petition launched by former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott, appealing for the government not to scrap NHS Direct, has passed the 10,000-signature mark.

The Department of Health last week said the nurse-staffed helpline, providing advice to 27,000 people a day, is to be replaced by a new, non-emergency 111 number.

Lord Prescott, who used the helpline when afflicted by kidney stones on Christmas Day 2006, is aiming for 100,000 signatures - a figure Prime Minister David Cameron said should trigger a Commons debate. Shortly after 3pm yesterday, 10,182 people had signed at savenhsdirect.co.uk.