This lady is under the impression that phone charges for calling her back  have been added to her phone bill by the NHS at 0844 rates. Which of course is not technically  possible.

"I AM under the care of a consultant specialist at my local hospital for a chronic condition. Whenever it was time for my review visit, I used to get a letter automatically from the hospital with an appointment.

Not any more. This time I received a letter simply telling me that if I didn’t contact the hospital within a specified time, I would be referred back to my GP who would have to re-refer me to the consultant. The tone of the letter was such as if I was somehow at fault. The number to ring was a 0844 number, for which my telephone provider charges 28 pence plus VAT.

I contacted the appointments desk, which was very busy, but to save time I was offered a call-back option, which was promised to happen within one hour. After two hours (and no call) I had to go out on an urgent matter. The appointments desk rang in the meantime, leaving a message on my voicemail stating the time of call and that I needed to repeat the process. This I did, received the call-back within the hour this time and booked the appointment.

A few days ago, I received my phone bill. To my utter amazement, there were four calls listed with the hospital’s 0844 number. It transpired that the call-back is charged to the person who is called! I am writing this to alert other unsuspecting patients to this fact.

The regular review of my condition has cost me £1.32 in telephone calls. I wonder how much money the hospitals make out of this scam!


http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/debate/letters/beware-the-cost-of-call-backs-for-hospital-appointments-1-6015748

The fact that the lady may have perhaps got a little confused about her phone bill should not distract us from the key issue that is raised here.

Her local hospital, operated by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust continues to use a 0844 number, in breach of Directions issued by the Department of Health in December 2009. Another nearby hospital group - Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust does the same.

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 11:04am:

The fact that the lady may have perhaps got a little confused about her phone bill should not distract us from the key issue that is raised here. Her local hospital, operated by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust continues to use a 0844 number, in breach of Directions issued by the Department of Health in December 2009. Another nearby hospital group - Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust does the same.

Good Afternoon SCV, indeed it does... it also provides a feedback area here, perhaps if a large number of people where to contact them via that option it would leave them with no choice but to review the situation?   I also believe NHS England might wish to be informed of it.

They appear to support a "two tier" contact method!

I know someone who maybe covered by that area, I will ask more info from him.

Mid Yorks provides a complaint service as well here this appears to be via an e-mail address or physical address.

Again they appear to provide a "two tier" service!

CJT-80 wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 12:30pm:

… Again they appear to provide a "two tier" service!

In these cases there is no reason to assume that calls to the geographic numbers are handled any differently from those to the 084 numbers. We know that this happens with the Surgery Line GPs, but there is no indication that the hospitals are using the same technique.

The powerful "two tier NHS" argument only applies when those who call the more expensive number receive a better service, i.e. being allowed to join an orderly queue to be attended to in turn, rather than taking pot luck on being able to get through.

It is an intolerable disgrace that these hospitals promote 0844 numbers. The case for even offering them as an option is unjustified. There is no evidence that a significant number of people pay the 9p per minute out-of-plan BT penalty charge to call geographic numbers, and would thereby save money by having a 084 or 087 alternative option.

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 5:14pm:

CJT-80 wrote on Sep 15th, 2013 at 12:30pm: … Again they appear to provide a "two tier" service! In these cases there is no reason to assume that calls to the geographic numbers are handled any differently from those to the 084 numbers. We know that this happens with the Surgery Line GPs, but there is no indication that the hospitals are using the same technique. The powerful "two tier NHS" argument only applies when those who call the more expensive number receive a better service, i.e. being allowed to join an orderly queue to be attended to in turn, rather than taking pot luck on being able to get through. It is an intolerable disgrace that these hospitals promote 0844 numbers. The case for even offering them as an option is unjustified. There is no evidence that a significant number of people pay the 9p per minute out-of-plan BT penalty charge to call geographic numbers, and would thereby save money by having a 084 or 087 alternative option.

SCV my apologies, the use of the term "two tier" by me was merely to indicate that they provide 2 distinct numbers as listed on their website.

What therefore interests me, and which has not yet been fully established is: Do you just print the 0844 number on their letters asking patients to call in, or do they print both?

If both are printed, are the call costs correctly explained?

Whilst we can still work on them removing the 084 number altogether, in the mean time it would be useful to find this information out.

Very often, call prices are explained as "0844 - 5p/min" vs. "01/02 - 9p/min" forgetting to mention the 15p connection fee, often forgetting to mention these are BT prices (especially forgetting to mention that BT's 084 and 087 prices are capped by regulation or that the 01/02 price is an inflated "penalty charge"), and forgetting to mention that most callers will have "inclusive" calls to 01/02 numbers (effectively "free"), thereby making the 084 number always more expensive to call at any price.

The Call Cost information on the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust website provides an interesting example of misrepresentation of call costs. The figures are out of date, incomplete and inaccurate.

It presents the BT Unlimited Weekends call plan as if this were some form of "standard".

In fact, it is a very special option intended for the few who do not normally make calls from their landline during the week, or do so using another call service provider. The suggestion that the out-of-plan penalty charge which would be incurred by these people to contact the hospital on a geographic number under the terms of this plan is of any general interest or relevance demonstrates the ridiculous depths that some are prepared to plumb in an attempt to justify improper exploitation of patients.

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N.B. The explanation of the "two tier NHS" point was intended as clarification, not as criticism.

Couldnt agree with SCV  more .It is an absolute  disgrace that these hospitals continue to  promote 0844 numbers. Completely ignoring the Directions issued by the Department of Health nearly four years ago.