Against 0844 to call doctors surgeries?

visidigi

DaveAA wrote: »

When the 0844 number was used, you were spending several pounds while waiting in the queue. With the new system, re-dialling after hearing the busy tone costs nothing.

Your local practice is obviously too tight to pay for call-queueing features on their new number even though previously they were quite happy to pass that cost on to callers through the imposition of a Service Charge. That charge is built into the 0844 call price and it opened the oppportunity for your phone company to add a huge markup on top (exception: BT is currently regulated to add nothing on top).

All of those people you're now "competing" with for a connection were previously sat in the queue each running up a large bill and each contributing 5p/min to the practice (a few pence per minute towards the technical call handling costs and 2p/min towards payment of the lease for their telephone switchboard).

What are you babbling on about?

The same queue system is in place now as when it was an 0844.

100's more people call it now because its not charging them money. All those people who were apparently well enough not to call when it was an 0844!

So instead of being 2-3 in the queue when I call I am now 20-50!

OlliesDad

DaveAA wrote: »

When the 0844 number was used, you were spending several pounds while waiting in the queue. With the new system, re-dialling after hearing the busy tone costs nothing.

When i need to call the surgery it is generally due to me being unwell. In these situations I am happy to pay 10p to get through.

DaveAA

OlliesDad wrote: »

When i need to call the surgery it is generally due to me being unwell. In these situations I am happy to pay 10p to get through.

But it isn't "10p". Many people spend several pounds just booking one appointment. Some are spending more than ten pounds each time.

keyser666

mine uses 0844 and i have yet to find an alternative way of getting through to them!

DaveAA

keyser666 wrote: »

Mine uses 0844 and I have yet to find an alternative way of getting through to them!

When your local practice signed up the 0844 system, the phone system supplier blocked access to the old 01 or 02 landline number replacing it with a recorded message telling callers to dial the new 0844 number. They then allocated a new landline telephone number to the practice, but kept it secret, and routed the incoming 0844 calls to that number. It's rare to discover what that new landline telephone number is.

0844 numbers were banned for use by practices in April 2010. There's a specific section in the GMS Contract covering this. PCTs spectactularly failed to enforce those provisions. NHS England seem to have taken a much more active interest in this issue. We can't be far away from the point where NHS England takes decisive action against remaining cases.

Your local practice will eventually be forced to reveal the 01 or 02 number, or adopt a new 03 number. The phone system supplier has already said that practices can swap from 0844 to 0344 or 0300 without cost at any time during their telephone services contract. The funding arrangements change when they do this.

Callers no longer pay a "Service Charge" within the call price. Part of that is currently used by the practice to pay for the technical call queueing and call handling features of their non-geographic number. The practice will have to pay those fees in future, but they are a small faction of a penny per minute.

The practice will no longer receive the 2p/min revenue share out-payment which they currently use to pay towards the lease of their telephone switchboard. They will have to pay for that themselves, without the benefit of an illegal subsidy collected from patients.

Just_landed

keyser666 wrote: »

mine uses 0844 and i have yet to find an alternative way of getting through to them!

I am becoming a rebel :- Go to your nearest A & E
Labour caused this, one nation my A*S* :mad: