Yes NGM,

I also have made this point before. The problem is one of total apathy. That is what is at the root of it, as with an increasing number of things.

Really, in Alistair Campbell speak that means that nearly 400 people complained directly to NEG about the scam.

Of these 400, all were perfectly fit, had not had an accident, were not very worried about their loved ones, and generally happy with paying out so much money to be put on hold to listen to music!

Nobody else complained to anyone, that 'saynoto0870' lot didn't complain because they realised a long time ago that complaining to Ofcom, the government, ICSTSIS, their MP, their doctors etc., was a waste of time.

"You and Yours" did not say word!

All the rest of them (The Majority) wrote in and told you that they were very pleased with the improved level of service?

Eat your heart out NEG!

juby

What, me Sir?  No Sir!

Well just a bit!

juby

I don't think this has been posted before, even though it dates from March 2005:

From our 'friend' Mr Campbell

http://www.hoolet.org.uk/44hoolet/0870.htm

They've just said no to 0870 - so what happens now?
After much heated debate, the use of 0870 numbers in GPs' surgeries has now been effectively banned from use across the whole of the UK. On February 24th the Department of Health in London issued a statement saying that the use of 0870 numbers would no longer be allowed. In total, around 300 GPs currently use 0870 numbers, including several in Scotland - so where does this leave them and their patients following the Government's decision?

The first question is - what about the GPs who have already signed up for the 0870 numbers? Well, whilst the Department has stopped this number range, it is happy to endorse the use of 0844 numbers as a replacement - and actually mentioned them in the official statement. The new 0844 numbers are charged at a 'lo-call' rate, so are much cheaper to call than the 0870 prefix. At fractionally over 4p a minute, the cost of calling numbers with this prefix equates to the standard rate charged by BT between 6am and 6pm. This means that the vast majority of patients will see no difference in the charges they pay for calling their doctor. On the contrary, there is growing evidence that, because call durations are decreased, many patients may actually see an overall cost saving. In fact, one surgery in Wales who had concerns over call charges to patients found that the combination of the 'lo-call' number and reduced call lengths had halved the average patients' call charge.

But why on earth would a GP want to change their phone number in the first place? What's wrong with the local number that everybody in the community knows? The original reason that so many made the change is due to the benefits offered by a new system, Surgery Line, developed by a company called NEG. The company devised a way to fund new switchboards, telephones, panic alarms, reception based display boards and 24 hour patient self booking and touch screens - amongst other things. The GP pays nothing for the new kit, but instead receives a few pence from each call coming into the surgery if the number is switched to a selected non- geographic number. Non-geographic numbers include 0870 numbers charged at a national call rate, and 0844 numbers - which are charged at a 'lo-call' rate.

Some media reports seem to imply that GPs are making money out of the national call rate systems. Richard Chapman, CEO of NEG Plc, explains that this isn't an option. "It is impossible for a GP to make money out of a Surgery Line system. The money that comes in from calls helps towards the funding of new equipment which provides a better service for patients. In some cases there is a surplus - if this happens then the money goes towards reducing the surgery's phone bill. But the notion that they are introduced as a money making scheme is pure fantasy."

In a statement issued by the NHS in Lanarkshire, this point was reinforced when one of their surgeries explained why they had opted for Surgery Line. "We would like to emphasise that we introduced the new telephone system purely in the interests of improving the efficiency and quality of service for patients. We have found that after the initial settling in period, many patients are now commenting favourably on the new system. Whilst the cost per minute is slightly higher than a local call, due to the reduced call time, the average overall cost is broadly similar to before. The practice is not profiting from the new system."

Interestingly, from studies carried out across 100 GPs who did switch to non-geographic numbers, less than 1 patient in 400 had issues about the perceived increased cost of calling their GP. This research was carried out before the more expensive 0870 numbers were banned. It is therefore fair to conclude that 0844 numbers will prove less controversial as they cost half as much for patients to call.

Hitting re-dial

So, aside from the new equipment - which it could be argued mainly benefits the GPs because of the money it saves them - what's in it for the patients? The main advantage is probably in the speed with which calls are dealt. Calls are routed directly to the relevant department and processed more quickly because staff know more or less what the patient will ask for. Again, the survey of 100 surgeries showed that, by improving the efficiency of call handling, Surgery Line systems were able to roughly halve the average call duration. Further analysis also shows that calls are more consistently spaced over the day so that the traditional call peak of 8.30am to 10am is not as high, and that more people call the surgery at less busy times. A spin off benefit for patients is that they are significantly more likely to get through to their doctors first time without having to hit the re-dial button because calls are spread more evenly and dealt with more efficiently.

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