NHS direct and access to dental care.

NHS Direct - the nurse-led 24-hour telephone helpline - is the flagship initiative of the 'New NHS'. The scheme is already available to over 19 million people, and is planned to serve 60% of England by the end of 1999 and the whole of the country by the end of 2000. It is intended to revolutionise how and when people access the NHS, particularly out-of-hours. The present government has recently also signalled that NHS Direct should play a key role in rebuilding accessibility to NHS dentistry. Yet many dentists are unaware of its existence, and within the profession there has been little debate regarding its actual or likely future impact on how people access dental care. This article briefly describes the concept and early experiences of NHS Direct, and speculates about its potential impact on how people access dental care.