http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/wnnewslatest/display.var.2013449.0.surgeries...

Surgeries stuck with the 'rip-off' numbers
By James Connell

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HIGH-rate telephone numbers at GP surgeries have been branded "a rip-off" but doctors face massive fines if they wriggle out of their contracts.

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said GP surgeries such as St John's House Surgery in Worcester and Ombersley Medical Centre could not be forced by the Government to ditch their 0844 numbers.

Your Worcester News has previously highlighted the use of the numbers by both surgeries.

The Ombersley Medical Centre is still reviewing its telephone contract following a survey of patient views in November.

Mr Lewis, who addressed the House of Commons on Monday, confessed he was worried about patients on low incomes, isolated older people and those with chronic conditions being "ripped off or exploited" by having to call 0844 and 0845 numbers to book appointments. He gave a "cast-iron guarantee" that NHS Direct will not have a higher rate telephone number when the new contract is signed.

But he said a promise to get rid of the controversial 0844 numbers at GP surgeries would be "hollow" if they were locked into long-term contracts.

Dr Simon Parkinson, medical secretary for the Worc-estershire Local Medical Committee, represents the interests of the county's 450 GPs.

He said: "The problem for many GPs is that we have entered into long-term contracts in good faith. The contract at my surgery still has five years to go.

"We would be fined thousands of pounds because of the penalty clause if we tried to get out of it."

Dr Parkinson has received no complaints from patients about the telephone line and says it was brought in at his Redditch-based surgery with patient backing to improve the call handling service.

Calling an ordinary landline number with BT or Virgin is either free with an inclusive package or 3.25p a minute but to call to an 0844 number would cost 5p a minute.

The Department of Health advised primary care trusts in December 2006 to take action to ensure that patients calling GP practices do not pay more than they would if they called a local number.

The department suggested GPs did not break existing contracts.

They have recommended that GPs switch to 03 numbers - which cost the same as a local call - when they expire.
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Worth restating the lies that NEG continues to publish:

http://www.networkeuropegroup.com/downloads/surgeryline-thelodge.pdf

How your patients benefit

Patients benefit by having their calls
answered more quickly. The engaged
tone becomes rare – even at peak times -
because you are able to handle incoming
calls more efficiently, whilst patient calls
are spread out during the day. Calls to
084 or ‘lo-call’ numbers cost patients 4p
per minute, the same as the first minute
of BT’s standard call rate between 6am
and 6pm. This means that many
patients will actually pay less in total
because their call is answered and
processed more quickly. Significantly, the
cost of calls from mobiles remains
unchanged - these account for around
30% of all calls to surgeries.

idb wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2008 at 4:02pm:

Ignoring the LIE about the cost of calling an 0844 number as opposed to an 01 or 02 number from a mobile, there they go again - quoting rounded down (the real cost is 4¼p/minute ex-VAT) ex-VAT prices for their 5p/minute 0844 numbers to confuse the issue.  How many members of the public pay for their calls ex-VAT?

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Surgeries-hang-on-over-phone.3764149.jp

Surgeries hang on over phone switch

CITY surgeries are "reluctant" to switch to 0844 numbers until complications caused by the new system have been solved.
Out of 28 practices in Peterborough, four have introduced the system – forcing patients to pay a higher rate than a typical local call.

However, the 24 remaining surgeries have reportedly put the brakes on swapping 01733 for 0844, because the system has run into difficulties.

The revelation came to light in a report submitted to Peterborough City Council's health and adult social care scrutiny panel.

The report, written by Peterborough Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: "Recently, one practice experienced difficulties with the telephone system supplier, and the remaining Peterborough practices are observing the outcomes closely.

"We understand that the majority of the Peterborough practices are now reluctant to put in place the new system because of the difficulties experienced."

Suppliers of the 0844 telephone system advertise the software as free, which means that while the NHS does not bear a cost, the patient does.

Numbers which begin with the digits 0844 are charged at 5p a minute – a higher rate than regular local numbers – while callers from mobiles could be charged up to 40p a minute.

The report admitted that the "minimal extra fee" generated an income for each individual practice, but "profits were not actually very high and each has assured us that this is being used to support patient care".

Councillor Keith Sharp, a member of the health and adult social care scrutiny panel, said: "I would rather practices didn't use 0844 numbers, because it is the patient who is penalised."

In October, North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara wrote to telecommunications regulator OFCOM, the PCT and the Department of Health, urging them to intervene in the interests of patients.
Mr Vara said he hoped a "sensible outcome" would ensure patients were not hit in the pocket.

A PCT spokeswoman said the organisation could not control whether individual practices changed to a 0844 system or not, but "may encourage and support practices to consider very carefully any changes to their telephone systems which incur red patient charges".

The health and adult social care scrutiny panel will meet again on February 19, in the Bourges and Viersen rooms, town hall, starting at 7pm.
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http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.2059048.0.block_o...

Block on top-rate GP lines
By Independent reporter

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MEMBERS of the Enfield Over-50s Forum are celebrating a major step forward in their battle to stop GP surgeries making extra money by using premiumrate telephone numbers.

The Forum has been complaining for many years to Enfield Primary Care Trust (PCT) to stop surgeries from using the 0844 number altogether, as they feel it completely goes against the principles of a National Health Service.

The Forum argued that the PCT had been reluctant to act and should have made more effort to resolve the situation.

But in a recent letter the PCT informed the Forum that it has now written to all 62 surgeries in the borough warning that the it does not approve of them using these premium rate numbers.

The 13 surgeries currently using 0844 numbers have also been informed by Rob Lee, associate director of Primary Care in Enfield, that the Department of Health is currently acquiring evidence to decide if the use of 0844 numbers should be banned altogether.

Long-serving Forum chairman Monty Meth said that he was delighted by the letter.

He said: "Surgeries should not be allowed to boost their income by taking a cut from the cost of each incoming 0844 call, particularly from vulnerable, elderly and disabled people on low incomes."

0844 calls can cost 4.2p a minute on a BT line and up to as much as 40p a minute when using a mobile phone.

There have even been cases where patients have paid over £3 to contact their own GP and Mr Meth is hopeful that such practices will soon be banned.

The news was announced at a Forum reception at the Civic Centre on Tuesday night and came on the same night that it was announced that target member numbers had been achieved for 2008.

l If you are interested in finding out more about the Enfield Over-50s Forum call 020 8447 8841, email tony_watts@blueyonder.co.uk or write to the secretary at Enfield Borough Over-50s Forum, Salisbury House, Bury Street West, London, N9 9LA.
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http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/Patients-angry-over-higher-call.3823292.jp

Patients angry over higher call charges

By Adam Uren

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Patients are finding their bank balances are taking a hit due to a Spalding doctors' surgery's new phone system.

Munro Medical Centre in West Elloe Avenue changed its number from a local 01775 code to an 0844 code in December, which brought in a virtual queuing system to stop engaged lines.

Now patients say they are being kept waiting while calls are answered and are being charged up to 5p a minute.

Phoning the medical centre costs slightly more than a standard BT call, around 4p, and patients say they are kept on the line longer than under the old system.

Those who are paying a monthly tariff in which they receive free local and national calls are being charged for ringing the surgery, when they would not previously have paid at all.

Deeping St Nicholas resident Gerald Gray (72) could not get through to the nurse.

He said: "It costs more to ring the new number than the old one and I had to ring four times before I got an appointment. It's not any quicker. On the old number you could press "5" and you could get callback but that won't work on the new number. You have to hang on until they get round to you."

David Allen (71), of Matmore Gate, Spalding, pays a monthly fee to TalkTalk for local and national calls but was amazed when he found a £2 charge on his phone bill after phoning the medical centre seven times last month.

He said: "It's not a lot of money but many people have to ring regularly. What with electricity and gas going up too it's a bit much for the pensioners."

Practice manager Debbie Herd said: "Some phone bundles do not include 08 numbers so our number doesn't come under the free minutes. There's a misconception that the 0844 number is premium rate but it's not. It is similar to standard tariffs. General comments from patients have been positive and although there have been some who have not managed to get through, most are dealt with more quickly."

The centre receives about 1p per minute each call because of the 0844 system. This goes towards paying for the phone equipment.
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Dave wrote on Feb 28^th, 2008 at 8:22pm:

Ms Herd's problem is not with a dictionary, but with telephone tariff tables. This is shown by the press release on the practice website.

Quote:

I am very ready to agree with the point about misrepresentation in the press. The "Spalding Today" article suggests "up to 5p per minute" when 5p per minute, plus a 6p connection charge is the minimum that any patient would pay.

The name of the author of the press release is provided at the foot of it.

Tippy wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2008 at 10:28am:

I think you need to read idb's posts again. idb posts media articles and the text of them is between "<<" and ">>". I presume you are referring to the first post on this thread which was by idb. He quotes from NEG's website, to which he has posted a link.

Tippy wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2008 at 10:28am:

So what are you talking about here? If this is your own words, you seem to have changed your tone. I suspect this is a quote, but you haven't put it in a quote box or referred to the source, unlike idb.