There were nearly 2,000 calls to the new NHS Direct helpline from Oxfordshire during December.

The round-the-clock service, which aims to complement existing healthcare services, became available for the whole of the county in October when there were 769 calls, compared with 1,840 in December.

Calls to the service in December reached an all-time monthly high of 16,970 in the Thames Valley and Northamptonshire, which are served by a call centre in Milton Keynes.

At a public meeting in Didcot Civic Hall, Dr Keith Beswick of the Didcot Health Centre and Asbury Centre welcomed the new service as a way of easing the pressure on over-stretched GP services.

But Barry Coward, manager of the town's Oak Tree GP practice, said many people did not realise it was a national service.

NHS Direct local communications manager Chris Gaskill said that throughout the region, Christmas saw the greatest increase in calls with an average of more than 617 a day.

Senior NHS Direct managers explained that for the price of a local call, people could speak directly to experienced nurses and professional advisors about health problems or queries.

Using their skills and experience, together with a comprehensive computer system, NHS Direct staff can provide advice on what to do next.

Mr Gaskill said: "The most common calls are about children under 16, with the most common concerns being about sickness, fever or chest infections.

"For adults, abdominal pains and headaches are the most common reasons for calls."

If people needed general information about local health services such as late night pharmacists or out of hours dentists or simply a leaflet about a health conditions, NHS Direct could provide the information quickly, he added.

If a caller's problem was more serious, NHS Direct staff could call out an ambulance.

Figures show patients were more likely to use NHS Direct when many GPs surgeries were shut - evenings, weekends and pubic holidays.

Details of the service are available at GP surgeries and hospitals or call NHS Direct 0845 4647.

Alternatively, visit the NHS Direct website at: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk