0870 numbers to Dr`s surgeries to be banned?

derrick

Heard this on a news programme today, maybe this is the begining of the end for these numbers

Also THIS ARTICLE

sergeant121

0870 numbers to GPs' surgeries to be banned?

Not exactly.

In any case, the crafty supplier (NEG plc) managed to convince our weak government that they should just replace all the 0870 numbers with 0844 numbers - which, from a BT residential landline, will cost 5p/minute at all times to call (the government were hoodwinked because the cost of calling an 0870 number during the day is 7.51p from a BT residential landline and reducing that to 5p sounds such a great deal).

However, nobody thought to say that 5p/minute is still 66% more (at BT rates, other telcos may charge more) than it costs to call an 01 or 02 number from that same landline or that the cost of calling from call boxes also needs to be taken into account (yes, there are still plenty of the less fortunate who have to use those things).

BT don't go out of their way to advertise the fact that they charge the same to call 0870 and 0845 numbers from their call boxes. The charge is 10p connection and then 10p for each 55 seconds - with a minimum charge of 30p.

Unsurprisingly, BT and NEG are keeping really quiet about how much it costs to call one of the new 0844 numbers from a call box. The charge is 10p connection and then 10p for each 43 seconds - with a minimum charge of 30p.

In effect, it's MORE EXPENSIVE to call an 0844 number!

I pity the poor pensioner who has to use a call box to phone his or her GP and is kept hanging on listening to 'press this, press that' options or muzak for 10 minutes - £1.50* to make an appointment with your NHS Doctor!

*It would have cost £1.10 to call the 0870 number from the callbox.

andy88_2

You can find plenty about this on the saynoto0870 site on this board
http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=news

Steve_xx

sergeant121 wrote:

0870 numbers to GPs' surgeries to be banned?

Not exactly.

In any case, the crafty supplier (NEG plc) managed to convince our weak government that they should just replace all the 0870 numbers with 0844 numbers - which, from a BT landline, will cost 5p/minute at all times to call (the government were hoodwinked because the cost of calling an 0870 number during the day is 7.51p from a BT residential landline and reducing that to 5p sounds such a great deal).

However, nobody thought to say that 5p/minute is still 66% more than it costs to call an 01 or 02 number or that the cost of calling from call boxes also needs to be taken into account (yes, there are still plenty of the less fortunate who have to use those things).

BT don't go out of their way to advertise the fact that they charge the same to call 0870 and 0845 numbers from their call boxes. The charge is 10p connection and then 10p for each 55 seconds - with a minimum charge of 30p.

Unsurprisingly, BT and NEG are keeping really quiet about how much it costs to call one of the new 0844 numbers from a call box. The charge is 10p connection the charge and then 10p for each 43 seconds - with a minimum charge of 30p.

In effect, it's MORE EXPENSIVE to call an 0844 number!

I pity the poor pensioner who has to use a call box to phone his or her GP and is kept hanging on listening to 'press this, press that' options or muzak for 10 minutes - £1.50* to make an appointment with your NHS Doctor!

*It would have cost £1.10 to call the 0870 number from the callbox.

0844 can cost from between 1ppm and 5ppm (BT), depending on the digits following the 0844 prefix. They are not set at 5ppm for the whole range.

sergeant121

Steve_xx wrote:

0844 can cost from between 1ppm and 5ppm (BT), depending on the digits following the 0844 prefix. They are not set at 5ppm for the whole range.

True - but you can safely put money on the range of 0844 numbers NEG have bought all being in the 5p/minute range to maximise their profits.

Steve_xx

sergeant121 wrote:

True - but you can safely put money on the range of 0844 numbers NEG have bought all being in the 5p/minute range to maximise their profits.

Yes - I guess you're right, they will do. Then, after everyone gets over the shock, BT will no doubt start to ramp up the minute rates for 0844.

onzey

When the BBC Radio 4 "You and Yours" program covered this 0870/0844 Doctors numbers issue last week (Thurs 24th) they gave their 0800 number (as quoted on their web page) for listeners to use for phoning in. When I listened to You and Yours today the number they gave out for phoning in began 0870.

What number do they normally give out on the program?