.BY PETE HENSHAW

HEALTH chiefs are anxious to highlight a new service which was recently launched in Nantwich.

The NHS Direct Service consists of a 24-hour phoneline which gives the public access to health advice and attempts to alert residents to its advantages have included nurses descending on shoppers to tell them about it.

Nurses went on a day long roadshow at Safeway to get the message across to shoppers and handed out healthcare guides detailing the services NHS Direct offers.

Nantwich is to home one of two call centres in the county and the lines at the centre have been open from the beginning of November.

You can reach the centre in Nantwich or the Chester centre by calling 0845 4647 and one of 30 full-time nurses will take your call.

Associate Director of NHS Direct in Cheshire, Joanne Royle, said: "The roadshow gave the shoppers of Nantwich the chance to speak to the nurses who will be taking the calls."

"It also gave the nurses the opportunity to get out into the community and meet the people that will use the service," she added.

There is a mini-com service for the hard of hearing, a translation service, and nurses can transfer the call to the emergency services if need-be.

The 17 nurses at the Nantwich centre will have access to a large database with information such as out-of-hours dentists and even counsellor and overseas jabs information.