House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Oct 2008 (pts 0013-0019)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081016/debtext/8101...

Primary Care

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16 Oct 2008 : Column 980

Dr. Howard Stoate (Dartford) (Lab): In some parts of the country there is still access to GP surgeries via 0844 numbers, and I consider that to be an unfair tax on those patients who have to pay a higher charge to get through to their GP—and where the GP effectively revenue-shares with the phone company, perhaps through how they pay for the phone system. This practice damages access, and I would like to learn what the Government might do to stop it, as it disadvantages patients, particularly in poorer areas.

Mr. Bradshaw: I can reassure my hon. Friend that we are looking closely at this. We have repeated on a number of occasions that the public should not be charged more than the cost of a local call for contacting their GP surgery. Some surgeries have introduced these more expensive phone systems, but we are looking at whether we can introduce a system where that would not be the case without disadvantaging surgeries.

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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1011

Dr. Stoate: […] I should like to take issue with my GP colleagues, but not only with them. There is variable quality, and some of it is down to GP practice; sometimes GP practices could, should and must do better. I intervened on the Minister to draw attention to the problem of 0844 numbers, which is an example of where GPs have not been very friendly to their patients. He needs to look at that. It is obvious to me that some GPs could and should do more, and I believe that with a bit of incentive they probably will be able to sort that out. The fact is, however, that we have allowed the variability to continue for too long.

Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead) (Con): The hon. Gentleman is very generous in giving way. The undertaking that he is asking for from the Government, and particularly from the Minister, to abolish the use of 0844 numbers was given by the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis), some time ago, when he was a Health Minister, and nothing has happened.

Dr. Stoate: I accept that. I also accept the Minister’s assurance that the matter is being looked into by the Government. I await, as does the hon. Gentleman, the outcome of the Government’s deliberations, and I hope that this will be sorted out quickly. I think I have explained why there is so much variability, why practices have such different approaches, and why some provide services that are not up to the standard that we would like to see, whereas others motor ahead and produce everything that the Government want.

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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1020

Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead) (Con): […] However, I must first highlight something. If Ministers come before the House and make commitments to Members and to the country that they will address certain matters, the public have the right to expect that to happen. Therefore, given that the former Health Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for International

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Development, the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis), came to this House and promised he would address the 0844 number issue—which is leading to our constituents being ripped off when they phone their GP surgeries—and that that practice would stop, it is astonishing and unbelievable that, in this later debate, Labour and Opposition Members have highlighted the problem of patients still paying these charges.

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House of Commons Written Hansard Written Answers for 21 Oct 2008 (pt 0033)
Department of Health

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081021/text/81021w0...

21 Oct 2008 : Column 313W

NHS Direct: Operating Costs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the public purse of a telephone call to NHS Direct was in each year since the service was established; and how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each such year. [228109]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is available from 2004-05 onwards, when NHS Direct was established as a national service. The information is available in the following table.

21 Oct 2008 : Column 314W

	Total calls to the 0845 4647 service answered ( Thousand )	Cost per call (£)
2004-05	5,368	22.61
2005-06	5,521	25.54
2006-07	5,009	25.49
2007-08	4,858	25.53

Quote:


...and how much does this numpty, Lesley Strathie, earn per annum?  

I have made a complaint to the Speaker about the untrue statement and sent a copy of the letter to Mr Drew PM.

I will post the reply.

House of Commons
Wednesday 29 October 2008
Notices of Motions for which no days have been fixed
(‘Early Day Motions’)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmedm/81029e01.htm

* The figure following this symbol is the total number of Members' names submitted in support of the Motion, including names printed for the first time in this paper.

930      PUBLIC BODY TELEPHONE CHARGES      18:2:08
     Mr Angus MacNeil
     Andrew George
     Bob Spink
     Bob Russell
     Peter Bottomley
     Mr Martin Caton
                             * 48
     John Mason

        That this House notes with concern that people on low incomes are having to pay up to 40 pence a minute to call public bodies, including the Department for Work and Pensions where, for example, a 15 minute call to the Benefit Enquiry Line can cost £6.00 if made from a mobile telephone or through a cable company; welcomes Ofcom guidance which recommends the use of normal geographical numbers alongside 08 numbers; and encourages all public bodies to use 03 numbers which cost the same as local calls.

NGMsGhost wrote on Nov 4^th, 2008 at 9:54pm:

There will be little opportunity for this EDM to gather more support before it falls at the end of the current session. Members may wish to make representations to those who instigated this EDM for something similar to be tabled for the new session which begins next month.

The EDM does confuse the issue slightly by saying,
"...to use 03 numbers which cost the same as local calls. "

While technically correct, as local and national calls simply cost the same now, it adds possibility of confusion with "lo-call", 0845, or there being a different price for local and national calls.