does anybody know the phone number for north street medical centre in romford essex as i dont like phoning 0844 numbers as they are a rip off thanx

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~ Edited by Dave: Thread title amended

There is a long running thread on this here. Long story short - more than likely not.

The most likely way of finding an answer to GP surgeries is to look for direct numbers for staff and offices. Reception will probably be within the block of numbers they have.

ok thanx
:)

Thanks for your prompt reply Dave, As requested I'm reposting with more info.  Can anyone find a global number for 0870 111 4597, this is again a doctors surgery , North Street Medical Care, 274 North Street  Romford Essex,, they have another number aswell 0844 815 1115. I don't like being ripped off to phone my doctor, I'm sort of getting my own back I've found out the practice email address, so I email them, they don't like it but it does work so far. I'm thinking of changing my doctor to one that has a global number . This would not only help me but other patients of this surgery    
Thanks again.
Manivel

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~ Edited by Dave: Thread title amended

Thus far, I've come across what I gather is the old phone number 01708 764477, and old fax number 01708 757656, both of which are not recognised.

It would perhaps help if you give information you have, including the surgery's e-mail address. The addresses I found are firstname.lastname@nhs.net, so perhaps they don't use a unique subdomain in the usual form gp-<GP number>.nhs.uk

I came across this recent (September 2010) document advertising second-hand furniture for sale by a member of staff at the practice:
http://www.firstpracticemanagement.co.uk/Bulletins/Bulletin%2001Sep10.doc


Quote:

…Please contact Jackie Hughes on: 01708 436425 (01708 436424) or email: jackiehughes@nhs.net.

This could be a clue to working out the proper number behind the 0844 number.

I note that on the website, staff give the 0844 number followed by their individual extension number rather than direct 01708 numbers. This surgery is clearly geared to increasing it subsidy from patients and callers in general. Even where the staff member's telephone rings due to an outside caller, the surgery receives payment towards its telephone system, where as it wouldn't had these been 01708 numbers.

Following the earlier posting I made in which I noted a staff member's direct number of 01708 436425, here are some more numbers.

Of those we've found, the menu number (which can be heard on the 0844 number) is usually amongst the block used for surgery extensions. However, this may not be the case here.  :-/

Anyway, direct number for member of staff are; prefix with 01708 436:

421 Linda Turner (Practice Manager)
422 ? Clinic
423 Carol Filmer (Deputy Practice Manager)
426 Secretary
431/2/4/5 are direct numbers for named doctors. I won't list them here as I think it's generally improper for patients to ring their doctor's office phone directly.

Interestingly, when through to someone's voicemail, you can press 0 for the operator. Before hearing the ringing tone for the operator, it identifies it as being extension 1314. The extension numbers bear no resemblence to their direct dialling in numbers (i.e. the last two or three digits aren't the same).

The numbers 400 to 419 are for Snow & Rock Cycle Surgery, so the surgery's start at 420. 450 upwards is for a different office system as it is extension 450, and it doesn't identify it as being IP Office (although it's the same female voiceover). I therefore think that the surgery's numbers go up to 449.

I assume that the operator is reception, or will certainly be able to direct outside calls. There are no numbers that answer and identify themselves as being extension 1314. Therefore, I would suggest that it could be (these numbers ring no answer outside office hours) 420, 427, 437, or 444. As 420 is the first in the sequence, I wouldn't bet against it being for reception (operator).


Please let us know how you get on; what you try, what works and what doesn't, so as to assist others looking for an alternative to this.  :)

I have tried but failed to find another number to combat the 0844 problem at North Street.
But, because I am with TalkTalk, I get free 0870/0845 numbers, and this allows me to go back and use the old original 0870 111 4597 number, which works fine for me still at the moment.