Vent - Hospital given out our home telephone number on a letter!

Kayteehee

We've had the same number bar one digit as the local hospital - one that people ring to make appointments for a long time. We usually get 2-3 calls per week where people have misdialled, fair enough.

However, there has been times when the calls have increased and it's been reported to us they were given our exact home number by the hospital staff over phone, so we then get 5+ calls a day, we rang up to report this and they said they would sort it.

Move on 2-3 months, the hospital have now, as it appears sent out letters regarding appointments to the patients and put our EXACT home number on all the letters :eek:. Now we are getting 5-10+ calls a day although we have been disconnecting the home phone regularly when it gets too much.

Now as a kind person i'm always polite to the callers, explaining they have the wrong number although it is hard when they insist they have called the exact number on the letter, even saying outloud our own home phone number.... some callers can be quite rude with us as they are very frustrated (probably rightly so). I ask each of them the same thing, that when they get through to the hospital with the correct number that I give them, they tell the staff they have been given someone's home telephone number on the letter.

We have rung the hospital and finally got through to someone regarding this latest shambles, who suggested I IGNORE the calls unless i know the number from my caller display. I was shocked by this suggestion as I said well then your patients are not able to get in touch with you especially as some are rather elderly/confused when they call, some are ringing to cancel last min etc, so the hospital department will be in a mess too, and it seems morally wrong to just ignore when people are ringing up.

Now I know we could ring up and get our home number changed (most likely at a cost), but it seems a lot of hassle when it's the hospital that's made such a big error, and what's to say we aren't given another number similar to something else, thus causing the same problem all over again. The number has also been on lots of job applications for us lately so we are not able to change it at this stage anyway.

I have spoken to a family member who says that telling the hospital to stop sending letters isn't enough, they need to re-send a letter out explaining they have made a mistake and giving out the correct number. We do not know at this stage how many letters have been sent out, it could be 20, it could be hundreds and we could get all the calls over the next few weeks

I just wanted a vent and to see if anyone has any suggestions on how we can get the hospital to listen as they don't seem to think it's a problem!

Proc

Speak to your phone supplier about changing your number. It won't cost anything and you moan that this takes time. Well what is taking more time;

a) Answering 10 phone calls a day that aren't for you.

or

b) One chat with BT and they will change your number.

Speak to BT, tell them the situation. Takes a couple of days for the change to complete.

Kayteehee

Proc wrote: »

Speak to your phone supplier about changing your number. It won't cost anything and you moan that this takes time. Well what is taking more time;

a) Answering 10 phone calls a day that aren't for you.

or

b) One chat with BT and they will change your number.

Speak to BT, tell them the situation. Takes a couple of days for the change to complete.

Cheers I understand what you're saying but atm we are not in a position to change the number due to applying for jobs etc using our home number. We will be able to in a few weeks/months time. We have talk talk as a provider not bt, not sure if that makes a difference on the cost.

bribri_2

I wouldn't waste time at low level. Either ring, write or visit someone from the board of directors - ideally Corporate affairs. The letters will be set to print from a central file, so it will need an IT Technical change to sort it out.

You may want to see if Ofcom (oftel?) have something to say about it as well.

If you get the rigt perosn it should get sorted. It won't be something that the hospital want to have turning up in the press.

Widelats

Agree with bribri, take it to the top, don't harass the overworked staff at the hospital, chances are it won't get looked at they are busy people.

nzmegs

I don't see why the OP should have to sort this herself. She has had the same number for years, all her friends and family know the number, all the companies she deals with like utilities, insurance etc will all have to be contacted with the new number. No wonder she would rather not do this - and fair enough. The hospital have made the mistake and it is their responsibility to sort it out.

Other posters are right - simply speaking to an admin person is probably not enough. You need to escalate it and tell them you will contact Ofcom regarding the nuisance calls if it is not sorted out immediately.

eranou

nzmegs wrote: »

I don't see why the OP should have to sort this herself. She has had the same number for years, all her friends and family know the number, all the companies she deals with like utilities, insurance etc will all have to be contacted with the new number. No wonder she would rather not do this - and fair enough. The hospital have made the mistake and it is their responsibility to sort it out.

Other posters are right - simply speaking to an admin person is probably not enough. You need to escalate it and tell them you will contact Ofcom regarding the nuisance calls if it is not sorted out immediately.

Ofcom dont regulate hospitals

Nargleblast

Send a letter by recorded delivery to the Chief Executive of the hospital trust (you will find his/her name and contact details on the trust website) explaining what has happened and stating that unless you get confirmation within (whatever time scale you wish) then you will be contacting your MP and the local press about the inconvenience and harassment you have been suffering. Chief Execs don't like getting letters like that, they will kick some a$$ because if it is not sorted their own job could ultimately be on the line.

m0jo

just change your number, any prospective employer would email you or do you put mobile contact numbers too?

Chances are if your recieveing 5+ calls a day which aren't for yourself, you wont be answering the phone in a 'happy greetingful' manner anyway, should a porspective employer ring.

Just a thought

Annoying though when its other people incompetitence that puts you out :mad: I feel your pain

m0jo

Nargleblast wrote: »

Send a letter by recorded delivery to the Chief Executive of the hospital trust (you will find his/her name and contact details on the trust website) explaining what has happened and stating that unless you get confirmation within (whatever time scale you wish) then you will be contacting your MP and the local press about the inconvenience and harassment you have been suffering. Chief Execs don't like getting letters like that, they will kick some a$$ because if it is not sorted their own job could ultimately be on the line.

I know what your saying but has the OP says

Kayteehee wrote: »

...We usually get 2-3 calls per week where people have misdialled...

this would still hack me off enough to change number

Marcusp

why don't you tell them if they don't fix it you will do this

http://www.snopes.com/humor/jokes/ribrock.asp

just kidding but it is tempting

Marcus