Sky includes NHS Direct on interactive platform

MediaWeek, Media Week, Tuesday, 04 January 2005, 1:55pm,

NHS Direct’s decision to expand services beyond advice lines and the internet into television will incorporate interactive services available on Sky’s digital platform.

Viewers will be able to visit NHS Direct from the Sky Active platform and access over 3,000 pages of free health information, as part of a £5m programme of investment in the service.

Content available to users will include an A to Z guide of health related issues, lifestyle advice and information on support groups and local medical services.

Ed Lester, chief executive of NHS Direct, said: "Now that viewers can access NHS Direct Interactive through Sky Active at home, more viewers will use the service increasing our level of support to the wider population, potentially those who do not have a PC at home to access NHS Direct Online."

Ian Shepherd, managing director of Sky Interactive, said: "Having NHS Direct Interactive on Sky Active adds a valuable free service to our interactive TV portal.

“The service is easy to use and provides an extremely useful source of information that compliments the wide range of entertaining services available through Sky Active."

By Kevin May

This article was first published on Media Week