Noticed this bit in the
http://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/11007740.Free_health_checks_in_Maldon/

Anglian Community Enterprise who run the service s have switched to 0843 http://www.acecic.co.uk/Contact.aspx

" Who we are

ACE provide more than 40 NHS community healthcare services to the 990,000 residents of north Essex predominantly to people in Colchester and Tendring. Increasingly we are successful in gaining contracts from other NHS commissioning organisations.

Anglian Community Enterprise (ACE) was launched on 1st January 2011 as a new social enterprise. We are a community interest company, limited by shares and employee owned. Before this, we were part of NHS North East Essex.  "


As a provider of NHS  healthcare services ,surely they should be using a geographical number ?

You would indeed assume so..

However they have assumed differently.. they have most likely been mislead by the telecoms provider into thinking that it's a "local rate" number..

Non the less, it's worth reporting to NHS England.

CJT-80 wrote on Feb 14^th, 2014 at 4:49pm:

they have most likely been mislead by the telecoms provider into thinking that it's a "local rate" number.

… in which case, I would suggest that the best approach is to assist them into understanding the truth of the matter. There is very little that NHS England can do about this type of organisation.

They have nhs.net provided e-mails.. so they must have a connection to the NHS somehow

So are we saying that companies/organisations  employed by the NHS to provide healthcare services, are not required to use 01/02/03 geographical numbers. Unless they are specifically told to do so ?

Given that they are funded by the Cabinet Office
http://mutuals.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ would the new Cabinet Office Guidelines not apply to them ?


[edit]Linked corrected by Dave.[/edit]

Of course the points being made about the NHS and contracted government services are totally correct and fair.

In my view, the only case in which it is legitimate to use a 084 number is if the Service Charge can be justified and is properly declared. That cuts out the vast majority of the public sector, the voluntary sector and, without any question whatsoever, the NHS.

My point is that, given that ACECIC perhaps do not understand the mistake they are making, the first (and perhaps the only necessary) step to resolving the situation could be approaching them directly with helpful advice.

ACECIC has contractual relationships with a large number of NHS bodies in respect of the various services that it provides, some of which (e.g. the GPs) are accessed directly using geographic numbers. Rather than picking one's way through a complicated network of rules, regulations and Guidance and engaging involved formal complaint procedures, it may be simplest to go directly to the heart of the problem, in the first instance.

I do not normally comment on engagement with bodies in this forum, so I will leave it readers to work out for themselves what action I have taken. If anything worthy of public report emerges, I will share it.