MSE News: GPs to be banned from using premium rate phone lines

DonnyDave

Meanwood Group Practice, or perhaps that should be Mean Meanwood Group Practice's proper telephone number is (0113) 261 8510.

silv.surfer

Thank you, both Heinz and Dave for your help :beer:
It is not entirely the PCTs' fault when this Member of the BMA is advocating the use of Revenue Share Methods not only by using one Himself but by putting out statements from the BMA that encourage it (hence my comment about encouraging others) and the DoH isnt completely blameless by making the variation of GP Contracts ambiguous with wording that Didnt do the Job and still left the Door ajar for abuse. and it took the Minister on 12 July answering the question in Parliament ( Hansard etc.etc -sorry I havent got my notes to hand ) saying ' They must NOT do it ' and the BMA still encouraged usage.

Previously the PCTs' had no advice from DoH on how to interpret their stupid wording in the Contract Varation and if they did enquire were given wrong information on what was compliant or not and with the BMA advocating Revenue Share for GPs the PCTs hadnt got a leg to stand on with regard to stopping the 0844 fiasco.

I think the better wording for the DoH GP Contract Variation could have been GPs must not use any Revenue Share Number and only 01/02/03 can be used which All Types of Telephoney Providers accept on Plan. Door shut and Locked - Job Done

A simpler, easily understood wording and they wouldnt be in this mess for a second time, it is commonsense, but there again when did commonsense figure in most of what comes out of Government.
What do you all think ?

flossy_splodge

Also being discussed here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3567783 after I read the posts by mamaMoo and contacted my local BBC radio station to ask them to take up this matter.
They have now done so and we are working actively now in Warwickshire to sort this issue out.
We are joined in our endeavours by 'SilentCallsVictim' who is a national campaigner on this issue and there are links in the thread to his own website which is well worth a read.
Anyone who cares PLEASE stand up and be counted.
Governments these days seem to work on bully boy tactics and if they don't think it will damage them in any way they ignore taking REAL action about an issue.
It is up to US, the people to show that it matters and we will not tolerate being ripped off.
Please join in. :T

notbritishgas

DonnyDave wrote: »

Meanwood Group Practice, or perhaps that should be Mean Meanwood Group Practice's proper telephone number is (0113) 261 8510.

DonnyDave
Can you give us clues on how we can find the ordinary number for our local rip off surgery?

poppy10_2

notbritishgas wrote: »

DonnyDave
Can you give us clues on how we can find the ordinary number for our local rip off surgery?

Yep, even I haven't been able to find that number, and I work for the hospital. We're still stuck using the expensive 0844 numbers at considerable cost to the Trust - money going directly from patient care into GP's wallets.

DonnyDave

notbritishgas wrote: »

DonnyDave
Can you give us clues on how we can find the ordinary number for our local rip off surgery?

I posted some guidance on this topic in the SayNo Forum here.

If you find an alternative, please share it with others via SayNoTo0870.

If you would like help with this, then start a thread in the Requests section of the SayNo forum giving any information you know.

DonnyDave

poppy10 wrote: »

Yep, even I haven't been able to find that number, and I work for the hospital. We're still stuck using the expensive 0844 numbers at considerable cost to the Trust - money going directly from patient care into GP's wallets.

I found the number for Meanwood Group Practice because a member of staff had kindly published their direct number on the internet. IIRC it was the number immediately before (i.e. ending 8509) !

DonnyDave

See this posting on SayNo. There was a report on the Ongar Health Centre where the doctor said that he couldn't have a local number because it couldn't stack calls.

As you can see, the follow-up report contained the local number used by his surgery which can stack calls....


It is worth pointing out here that that number will probably have a finite limit on the number of simultaneous calls after which the engaged tone will be heard. The 0844 number will be able to take any number of calls without the engaged tone being heard.