Doctors Surgeries told to stop using 0844 Numbers.

Ypaymore

"Doctors should no longer be using 0844 telephone numbers that charge patients extra to call their GPs, the Department of Health has said.
The Government said that GPs should be using alternatives to the numbers, which are up to 4p a minute more expensive to call from a BT landline than a standard local call. Practices can also receive a rebate on incoming 0844 calls.
The Times reported in July that more than 1,200 doctors’ surgeries are using the numbers, prompting a campaign by consumer lobbyists who say that GPs are unfairly profiting from patients’ calls.
In a statement to primary care trusts, the Department of Health said: “We do not expect GPs to break existing contracts, but they should not be entering new ones that would involve patients being charged more than for a local call.”
Michael Kennedy, a member of the saynoto0870.com internet forum, said: “GPs who have contracted to use these revenue-sharing numbers may well be in breach of their contracts because they are precluded from charging patients.”


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2896435.ece

Heinz

Unfortunately, Martin has not yet joined the campaign against NHS GPs using 0844 numbers. It would be nice to hear him shouting the odds on TV about this stealth tax.

A similar (but very closely connected) issue is that the 03 range of numbers (charged at the same rates as 01 and 02 numbers) is now recommended by Ofcom and the COI for public bodies (DVLA, HMRC, DWP etc.) use - but how many have changed from 0844, 0845 and 0870 numbers?

The latest disaster (HMRC losing 25 million people's details) resulted in them issuing an 0845 number for worried punters to call!

Am I alone in thinking that should have been a FREEPHONE number?

[Deleted User]

To add to the 19/11/07 Times article “GPs told to avoid premium numbers” mentioned above at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2896435.ece

See also ‘The Sunday Telegraph’ 18/11/2007 at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/18/ndoctors218.xml
“Doctors profit from patients' phone calls”

and MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart's website at: http://www.grahamstuart.org.uk/record.jsp?type=news&ID=175 “Graham Stuart calls for an end to GP phone system charges”

Our surgery is about to put an 0845 system in and I am appalled that the higher call charges of up to 40p a minute, as the Telegraph article says, "are likely to have a particular impact on the chronically ill, the old, the disabled and those on low incomes."

There's also debate about it in the www.saynoto0870.com forums and a petition against these call charges at the government website: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NGN-use-by-GPs/ Is there any chance this could be highlighted in the weekly e-mail so it gets as many signatures as possible?

It appears there is a bit of momentum on this at the moment, so it would be brilliant if Martin and his team could take this whole issue up while the press are taking an interest. Surely the issue that Michael Kennedy's raises, in that GPs may well be in breach of their contracts with these charges because they are precluded from charging patients is well worth Martin looking into for the benefit of millions of UK patients?

BritBrat

Government introduce new systems using 0845 all the time.

They have just done it for benefit claims questions, why would they make people on benefits pay more that they have to?

I wrote to the minister on the issue asking for an alternative 01, 02 or 03 number, was basically told hard !!!!!! we don't have one.

They need to get their own house in order before trying to tell others what to do.

My plan is to get them to call me back when I want help.

sicker

Your not alone Heinz, the first thing that crossed my mind was that it should be an 0800 free number. Some chance.

manrow

It seems that the government and their departments are too thick to realise they are being short-changed.

Anyone know a newspaper reporter prepared to attempt to embarrass the government?

Linguistic_Chimp

I too am completely behind anyone who attempts to get the government and doctors' surgeries to stop using 0845/0845 numbers!

Making money out of peoples' illness and/or distress is morally wrong and cannot be allowed to continue in a country that prides itself on its "free" healthcare and democratic government.

Come on Martin - let's get some more consumer revenge!

bunking_off

I agree that GPs shouldn't be using them. Let's be clear, though, there's a distinction to be drawn between the costs of calling from a landline and the 40ppm from a mobile network which is oft quoted. I'm not saying that the landline pricing is acceptable, but be clear that the 30-odd pence difference isn't going anywhere near the GP, it's the mobile operators that are pocketing it.

The issue with DVLA is largely that the government hasn't been prepared to fund the cost of running their call-centre so it has to be self-financing...hence the numbers used. Guess there's a philosophical debate of whether the cost of their helplines should be borne from general taxation, built into the cost of the products they sell (i.e. recovered from road tax fees) or recovered from the callers.

I can understand the reluctance to use 03, at least in the short-term. Fact is there's still negotiations ongoing between the telecoms companies on the commercial arrangements for these, and until that's resolved, 03 number holders can't be sure that they won't in the future be expected to pay towards receiving the calls.

[Deleted User]

Linguistic_Chimp wrote: »

I too am completely behind anyone who attempts to get the government and doctors' surgeries to stop using 0845/0845 numbers!

Making money out of peoples' illness and/or distress is morally wrong and cannot be allowed to continue in a country that prides itself on its "free" healthcare and democratic government.

Come on Martin - let's get some more consumer revenge!

Couldn't agree more!

The different angle on the GP surgeries situation, is the element where they could be in breach of their contracts with these charges. If GP's are precluded from charging patients, yet are clearly profiting from them, even by only a few pence per call to the surgery once the mobile/telecoms/phone system companies have taken their cut, then surely this needs to be challenged at the highest level.

I’m sure nobody here would be able to take these people on alone, hence we need a champion like Martin to fight the patient’s corner!

If this particular anti-0844/0845 battle could be won, it would hopefully pave the way for the rest of those used by the government machine to be ditched.

Gingham_Ribbon

0845 costs 2p per minute during the day (less in the evening) from a BT line. The unemployed, disabled, elderly etc would be the people least likely to be calling from extortionate mobile phone lines that charge the 40 pence per minute quoted.

Personally, I'm happy that my surgery uses an 0845 no. They provide a truly fantastic service, we can get in the same day we call, they are efficient, thorough and provde a range of services including a physiotherapist, midwives who come out to the lady's home rather than having to trail to hospital for checkups, health visitors, counselling, occupational therapy etc. I went on a baby massage course there that only cost the price of the organic massage oil and photocopied sheets too.

If an 0845 no helps them achieve all this then great as far as I'm concerned. The NHS pot isn't bottomless. If I believed that the poor were losing out as a result of this then I'd be arguing against it. But most poor people are going to be using phonelines that don't charge more than any other local call.

I don't really want to get revenge on the NHS, thanks all the same.

stamford

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

0845 costs 2p per minute during the day (less in the evening) from a BT line. The unemployed, disabled, elderly etc would be the people least likely to be calling from extortionate mobile phone lines that charge the 40 pence per minute quoted.

Personally, I'm happy that my surgery uses an 0845 no. They provide a truly fantastic service, we can get in the same day we call, they are efficient, thorough and provde a range of services including a physiotherapist, midwives who come out to the lady's home rather than having to trail to hospital for checkups, health visitors, counselling, occupational therapy etc. I went on a baby massage course there that only cost the price of the organic massage oil and photocopied sheets too.

If an 0845 no helps them achieve all this then great as far as I'm concerned. The NHS pot isn't bottomless. If I believed that the poor were losing out as a result of this then I'd be arguing against it. But most poor people are going to be using phonelines that don't charge more than any other local call.

I don't really want to get revenge on the NHS, thanks all the same.

What a daft post - the range & quality of services you list should be the norm and you are fortunate to have such a surgery. The 0845 doesn't help provide any of that it just puts a bit of icing on top of the GP's obscene salary