THe BMA counselling helpline operates from an 0845 number : 08459 200 169, I have so far been unable to find the landline number for this helpline, I,ve asked the BMA counseling helpline for their landline number they said they didnt know what it was, no success searching on google, or yell.com, the helpline number is not the same as the general BMA head office number for general BMA enquiries it is a seperate line I am advised. Any help in finding this landline number would be appreciated. It is expensive ringing this 0845 number.

Welcome to SAYNOTO0870.COM.

Information page: http://www.bma.org.uk/doctors_health/D4Dabout.jsp

This number (0845 920 0169) appears to be for BMA Counselling and the Doctors Advisor Service ("Doctors for Doctors" or "D4D").

At the bottom of the page it gives:


Quote:

Doctors for Doctors British Medical Association BMA House Tavistock Square London WC1H 9JP Tel: 020 7383 6739 Fax: 020 7554 6739 email: info.d4d@bma.org.uk Web: www.bma.org.uk/doctorsfordoctors

Putting 08459 200 169 into Google returns a link to this page which says "08459 200 169 or 020 7383 6739" which suggests that the two numbers can be used interchangeably.

Try 020 7383 6739 and let us know how you get on.


Please read the guidance for posting a request which suggests the sort of information to give which you know but haven't provided.

For starters, what is the general BMA enquiries number you have?  :-?

Hi Dave, sorry I was looking for the BMA geographical request post I,d put and couldn,t see it when I clicked onto the requests page, not sure if it,s on a different page now ? I,ve just tried the 0207 383 6739 number and I got the voicemail of the service coordinator directing me to ring the 08459200169 number for the counselling service, so it looks like this is just the office number, not the actual counselling helpline, also when I,ve been on the internet trying to find the landline number ( before my post on your site ) I saw the Doctors for Doctors website but I think it,s a different service to the BMA counselling helpline, and unlike you I only saw an 0844 number listed for D4D. The number I rang earlier I got from your site when I put BMA into your search for an alternative number and that,s the number, when you first replied to me re : this that you said was already listed, but it again isn,t the counselling landline number. So my search is not over...yet.

The other number I have tried which is on your database is 0207 387 4499 but it puts you through to voicemail referring you to the 08459 200 169 number for the counselling service.

Do you have any idea where the 0845 number is answered? Is it the BMA office? Is it operated on behalf of the BMA by another company?

Dave, I,ve just rung the 08459200169 number and asked the woman who answered a few questions : I found out the counselling service is operating outside of London and therefore not operating from the BMA head office in London, she also told me the actual company I am calling are called " FIRST ASSIST ", who offer a variety of services under the service heading Legal and counselling I I tried to get the landline number she said she didn,t have one and that she could see on her system I had rung the BMA counselling service and that different services they provide have different contact numbers,  hope this helps !

Looks to me like it is this company: http://www.first-assist.com/ BMA is shown as being a client of this company.

Its contact page says it has two offices:

Hinckley

Wheatfield Way
Hinckley Fields Estate
Hinckley
LE10 1YG

Tel: 01455 251155


Purley

32-42 High Street
Purley
Surrey
CR8 2PP

Tel: 020 8763 3333

Dave, I,ve rung both of the landline numbers, and the Hinckley branch is the office from which the BMA counselling line is operating, though the woman who answered was like who are you and where did you get this number from etc....staff at the other office confirmed the BMA counselling line does operate from their HINCKLEY branch, though it,s obvious that when you ring on the 0845 number they know you want the BMA counselling on their telephone system, when I rang on the landline number the female staff member couldn,t see immediately what service I wanted, it,s clearly not what they expect or not what they are used to, someone using the landline number for this service !....It may get reported at some point and the landline number changed or deleted....see what happens ?!..It,s an alternative number for now. Thanks Dave. Anyone using the landline service number be assertive and make it clear you want the BMA counseling line when asked how you got this number etc....she said after her initial surprise and concern that she would put me through to the service, so success with this post for an alternative number!

Dave you haven,t confirmed if you,re now putting the landline number on your data base as an alternative number or not ? Just thought I,d mention it.

dandy wrote on Aug 15^th, 2010 at 3:24pm:

Dave you haven,t confirmed if you,re now putting the landline number on your data base as an alternative number or not ? Just thought I,d mention it.

I've added this with a note to say that it's for FirstAssist and that callers will need to ask to be put through to the BMA Counselling Helpline.

FirstAssist have other numbers (as one would expect) and one of those will be the one which the 0845 number points to. I found 01455 251500 which is answered as the Legal Helpline by the same person as the BMA Counselling 0845 number. 251501 belongs to Veolia Environmental Services.

Dave wrote on Aug 15^th, 2010 at 4:05pm:

FirstAssist have other numbers (as one would expect) and one of those will be the one which the 0845 number points to. I found 01455 251500 which is answered as the Legal Helpline by the same person as the BMA Counselling 0845 number. 251501 belongs to Veolia Environmental Services.

One of First Assist's main call centre roles is in handling urgent 24/7 requests for authorisation from insurers from those who hold UK based travel insurance policies for overseas travel who are taken ill overseas and need urgent treatment in hospital.  Obviously one can see how this might dovetail neatly with also running a helpline for the BMA as another medical call centre related application.

However they do also do various other call centre based areas of work outside the medical sector including Legal Advice and Online Business Support.

Their 24/7 helpline on my own annual travel insurance policy supported by First Assist for urgent claims is actually a geographic number so it must depend on what they have agreed with their client and as we know the BMA rather likes ripoff 084 phone numbers. :o >:( >:( >:(

Yes, well alot of services / companies like to use the 084 numbers now....at our expense.

dandy wrote on Sep 1^st, 2010 at 3:06pm:

Yes, well alot of services / companies like to use the 084 numbers now....at our expense.

Agreed but all I'm saying is that First Assist do also run geographic 01/02 numbers for these overseas travel insurance medical emergency claim lines so neither they or the BMA can successfully make the argument that they don't currently have the technology available to use an ordinary 01/02 number instead at the drop of a hat if they actually wanted to.

wondering if the reason the other service users get to call a landline number to access First Calls services is because these service users are paying for the insurance that enables them to use one of First Calls services and this may not be the same for the BMA counselling service ie : First Call are profiting more from the paying for insurance cover client groups who use their services ?

dandy wrote on Sep 14^th, 2010 at 5:10pm:

wondering if the reason the other service users get to call a landline number to access First Calls services is because these service users are paying for the insurance that enables them to use one of First Calls services and this may not be the same for the BMA counselling service ie : First Call are profiting more from the paying for insurance cover client groups who use their services ?

There are several other assistance call centres for UK travel insurance policies who insist on still only providing an 0844 or 0845 number to call from overseas so I think it has more to do with the travel insurer I used actually giving a damn for providing decent customer service.

ok fair point, a good reason to still do business with that company, if they show more awareness of customers needs re : telephone charges in accessing the service.