The government has confirmed it is planning to scrap the NHS Direct telephone service in England and replace it with a cheaper option.
A new 1-1-1 helpline is already being piloted in the North East England.
It was previously reported that the new service may replace NHS Direct, but now the Department of Health has confirmed it will definitely do so.
The move comes as the government curtails public spending, even though it has promised to protect the NHS.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley apparently made a slip when he announced the plan during a hospital visit on Wednesday.
In June GPs urged the government to get rid of the service claiming it is not cost effective.
The move has provoked an angry reaction from the Labour Party, with shadow health secretary Andy Burnham using it a evidence of government plans to “dismantle” the NHS.
He said: “The health secretary’s statement will stun people across the NHS.
“It is yet more evidence that Andrew Lansley is on a vindictive mission to break up the NHS, ruthlessly dismantling services before alternatives are in place.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.