Surprising service charges - NHS Direct Wales

Ian011

The NHS is supposed by 'free at the point of need' but some NHS bodies are abusing this by setting charges which have not been approved by parliament.

According to their own website, calls to the NHS Direct Wales 0845 46 47 number incur a Service Charge plus your phone provider's Access Charge.

The Service Charge is paid by callers to the joint benefit of NHS Direct Wales and their telecoms provider and represents a charge for using an NHS service.

oldharryrocks

Should they be using such a number anyway. Why are they not complying with Govt Guidelines https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmg-guidance-for-customer-service-lines

Also should the service charge not be prominent and in close proximity to the number itself.
Main Page: http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/

Ian011

No, they should not be using such a number, and yes, numbers like this require the Service Charge to be declared in close proximity to the number.

In any case, Cabinet Office Guidance is somewhat secondary to the principle that the NHS is supposed to be 'free at the point of need'.

Imposing a Service Charge on callers breaches that principle in a very obvious manner.

Buzby

These numbers were deemed unfit for purpose and from 1st June new standard charge phone lines using 03 introduced. As to the 'free at the point of use' an irrelevane I'm afraid - you choose to phone, even if you write a letter, it isn't 'free'.

Very many traders, and others not covered by these regulations, have already switched from 084 and 087 numbers to the equivalent 034 and 037 numbers - changing only the second digit of the number. This enables the same facilities to be deployed, whilst ensuring that most callers enjoy no call charge, as calls to 03 numbers are covered by inclusive call plans and bundles in the same way as geographic (01 and 02) numbers.

Where callers are paying for 01 and 02 calls the charge for 03 calls will be the same, however they are well advised to look closely at their choice of plan or bundle as the penalty charge for calls not covered are commonly very high.

The fair telecoms campaign advises those who are offered 084 / 087 numbers to try the 034 / 037 equivalent number before complaining about being ripped-off.

Ian011

Buzby wrote: »

As to the 'free at the point of use' an irrelevance I'm afraid - you choose to phone, even if you write a letter, it isn't 'free'.

When sending a letter, the cost of the stamp pays for delivery of that letter. Upon delivery, there is no payment made to the organisation that was written to, nor do incoming letters create a fund that gives them a discount off the cost of stamps they buy for sending letters out.

NHS Direct Wales has a commercial arrangement with a telecoms company for the supply of a non-geographic telephone number and the various call-handling and call-forwarding facilities that come with it. This all has to be paid for.

The caller has a commercial arrangement with their landline or mobile provider and reasonably expects to pay for calls - either by purchasing an inclusive allowance on a monthly basis or by paying for calls individually as they are made.

As NHS Direct Wales has chosen to use an 084 number, the arrangement is that callers pay an Access Charge of up to 12p per minute from landlines or up to 45p per minute from mobiles to their own telecoms provider to connect and convey the call, and then on top of that the caller also has to pay a 2p per minute Service Charge to NHS Direct Wales' telecoms provider to pay for the telecoms services ordered by NHS Direct Wales.

As such the Service Charge represents an illegal subsidy of NHS services by NHS patients through an unauthorised charge for use. A Service Charge of 2p per minute also makes about 0.3p per minute available as 'revenue share' income for NHS Direct Wales. This would most likely be in the form of a discount off the cost of other telecoms services supplied by their provider.

If you were to visit them, you would not expect to pay extra for travel with the extra part of your train ticket cost, taxi charge or bus fare paid out to them or otherwise held in a fund that gives them a discount when they travel. Such an arrangement would be improper.

NHS Direct Wales has had since 2007 to migrate to the matching 0345 number, where no Service Charge is levied, but has chosen not to do so.

The equivalent service in Scotland, NHS24, changed their 0845 number over to the free-to-caller number 111 at the end of April 2014.

NHS Direct Wales should have been aware of the implications inherent in declaring a Service Charge and taken steps to avoid having to do so (by changing their number before 1 July 2015). Ofcom announced the change of regulations in December 2013 and they were initially discussed in 2010. Faced with the same choices, HMRC, DWP, EA and most local authorities have changed their numbers to ones where no Service Charge is levied.

Buzby

Er no.

Historical number use apart - OFCOM ended revenue sharing on these codes around 6 years ago. So your argument is one to complain to the regulator IF there is no replacement number available. The numbers were not outlawed with any guillotine date, just the ability to earn revenue from the calls. The Service Charge issue is distracting and ultimately does nothing to make costs clearer to the consumer. This is an issue for your MP (or equivaent at the Assembly) as all other complaints are simply a sideshow.

Insurance and financial firms were given an exemption by the Financial Ombudsman service and this ends in October 2015, supposedly the 'last' bastion of 08xxx chargeable use.

Ian011

Revenue sharing for 0870 numbers ended on 1 August 2009 when the termination rate was reduced to be the same as for calls to 03 numbers. This was pre-announced in 2008.

In 2008, there were some thoughts that Ofcom might also bring to an end revenue sharing on 0845 numbers, but no such action was ever taken. Even BT thought that Ofcom would proceed that way, and made both 0845 and 0870 inclusive from 1 January 2009.

Revenue sharing has always been available on 084 numbers, including 0845, and on 087 numbers (other than 0870, as above). The caller's phone provider paid an Enhanced Termination Rate to cover this.

The Enhanced Termination Rate for 0845 numbers remained at around 2p per minute, offering revenue share out-payments of up to 0.3p per minute for high-traffic users.

The main effect of ending revenue sharing on 0870 numbers was that most users simply changed to 0844 or 0871 numbers. This is why Ofcom did not proceed with ending revenue share on 0845 numbers.

Instead, in April 2010, Ofcom kicked off a major review of all 084, 087 and 09 numbers and this work eventually led to the new call charge system that came into effect on 1 July 2015.

The new system recognises that all 084, 087 and 09 numbers are premium rate. The premium paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider is now separately declared as the Service Charge. Revenue sharing was reinstated for 0870 numbers on 1 July 2015.

Declaration of the Service Charge brings much needed clarity to the situation making very clear that the caller is paying a fee to the called party's telecoms provider and exactly how much it is.

NHS bodies were warned in 2009 to not use 084 numbers, just as they had been warned in 2005 to avoid 087 and 09 numbers. NHS GP practice contracts in England and Wales were also amended to that effect at the same time.

It was initially expected that NHS Direct would migrate to 0345 46 47. When it became clear that NHS Direct was to be closed down in England, in favour of the new NHS 111 Service, these plans were scrapped. Instead, NHS Direct was given a temporary exemption to carry on using 0845 46 47. The changeover happened long ago in England. NHS 111 has completely replaced NHS Direct. Scotland has also made the move from 0845 424 2424 to 111 for their NHS 24 service.

NHS patients in Wales are still stuck with calling 0845 46 47 including a 2p per minute Service Charge. From 1 July 2015, the new Ofcom rules have forced them to own up to the subsidy obtained from callers.

It was the BIS that exempted financial services from the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. It is the FCA that has introduced equivalent regulation covering financial services. Neither are relevant to public services in general or to health services.

Buzby

So....? If this remains a cause of concern, go to your MP or Assembly Member. Scotland as you say, is compliant - this did not happen without nudging. Why not do it?

The_Groat_Counter

oldharryrocks wrote: »

Should they be using such a number anyway. Why are they not complying with Govt Guidelines https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmg-guidance-for-customer-service-lines

I think the answer is that those are UK government guidelines, for bodies that answer to the UK government (aka 'Whitehall') - the NHS in Wales is the responsibility of the devolved Welsh Government in Cardiff.