I thought that these numbers were rare around this area, but I've recently noticed a couple of surgeries with 0844 out-of-hours numbers.

Ordinary off-peak calls have never been 5 pence a minute on any BT or rival tariff, and actually even 0870 numbers are cheaper at those times, which shows what blatant liars the 5p/min 0844 providers are willing to be.

http://www.kenilworthweeklynews.co.uk/newsl/Doctors-surgeries-flouting-rules-by....

Doctors' surgeries flouting rules by charging patients to ring them

By Sundari Sankar

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Doctors' surgeries in Warwick district are continuing to use expensive telephone lines in defiance of government guidelines.
Five GP practices in the district are still operating with 0844 telephone numbers - which can cost patients up to 40p a minute.

The Department of Health has repeatedly advised primary care trusts that the use of such phone numbers is unacceptable and ministers have called on surgeries to switch back to normal-rate numbers.

Professor of patient and public involvement at Warwick University Jonathan Tritter said: “The Department of Health guidance is quite clear and it is not appropriate to make patients pay an unreasonable amount to make contact with their GP.

“It’s up to the government, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to make sure the appropriate changes are made to put a stop to the matter.”

The charge for dialling an 0844 number can be 5p a minute from a landline - compared to just over 3p a minute to call a normal-rate number - rising up to 40p per minute from a mobile phone.

Part of the premium charge invariably paid by the caller to these numbers is passed on the renter of the line. GP surgeries have been accused of using the extra money gained to fund their telephone system.

Communications watchdog Ofcom’s guidelines state that public bodies should not use numbers beginning with 08 unless they also offer conventional numbers.

The surgeries in Warwick district currently operating with 0844 numbers are Dr Clarkson and partners at The Old Dispensary in Castle Street, Warwick, Dr Clowes and partners in Cubbington Road, Leamington, Dr Davies and partners at Abbey Medical Centre in Station Road, Kenilworth, Dr Letocq and partners at Brese Avenue, Warwick and the Priory Medical Centre in Cape Road (pictured), Warwick. Southam Surgery in Stowe Drive, Southam, is also still using the 0844 number.

A spokesperson for Dr Clowes and Partners surgery in Cubbington Road, said: “We have informed our patients via a patient leaflet how much it costs them to call the surgery.

“We deny that it is costing them more than a normal-rate phone call.”

In December 2006 Ofcom introduced a new countywide number range beginning with 03, aiming to put a stop to the use of 0844 numbers in all GP surgeries.

The then Health Minister Lord Warner asked primary care trusts to ensure that patients phoning practices do not pay more than a local geographical phone number.

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Primary Care Trust said: “As individual businesses surgeries can make their own arrangements for booking appointments. We would encourage any surgery to inform their patients of any call charges.”

The Department of Health has been gathering evidence and views on the subject in order to consider whether further action is necessary. A decision was expected to be reached by the end of this month.
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This is very similar to the previous article:

Source: Northampton Chronicle & Echo

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Concern-over-cost-of-calling.3923606.jp

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Concern over cost of calling surgery

A HEALTH watchdog in Northamptonshire could be reformed to chase up patient concerns about phonelines in GP surgeries.

Healthwatch, which helped save Daventry’s Danetre Hospital in the early 1990s, could be reformed following complaints about 0844 phone numbers at Danetre Medical Practice.

The practice switched from an 01327 number to the 0844 one this month, after changing to a more efficient call handling system which is becoming increasingly popular at many surgeries.

It charges patients 5p per minute from a BT landline, but patients are unhappy at having to pay for NHS services.

John Birch, who was heavily involved in the original Healthwatch, said: “The new technology is most helpful, but why should it be funded by patients?”

Mr Birch sad he was considering reforming Healthwatch to tackle the issue as he claimed patients were unwilling to speak out.

Ruth Farthing, manager of Danetre Medical Practice, defended its use of the system, which can handle four calls at once and allows patients to call at any time of the day.

She said: “The new system is expensive to lease and so we have changed our main telephone number to help subsidise the cost.

“We can assure patients that all revenue raised by the new number is to off-set the cost of this new service.”

Other surgeries in Northamptonshire have been told not to sign up to 0844 numbers by the Northamptonshire PCT until more information is collected by the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority.

Last Updated: 27 March 2008 5:25 PM
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Keith wrote on Apr 4^th, 2008 at 6:59am:

An excellent point.

This would almost certainly be a breach of clause 29A of the GMS contract.

Quote:

A quick check has found that not all those who publish a 0844 main number on the NHS Choices website also advise a 0870 number, however I have a list of around 60 cases to be going on with.

Receipt of remuneration from patients (through the revenue share on a g6 0844 number) is a breach of clause 483 that is presently being disregarded. The fact of a breach of contract may not therefore be seen as being significant. I will nonetheless pursue this matter - unless anyone would wish to PM me asking for all my collected data so that they may do so.

Keith wrote on Apr 4^th, 2008 at 10:46am:



I have sent the info to my PCT and surgery weeks ago, but they do not respond!

They also breach the contract by use of 0844 numbers as has been commented by others and the minister for health, hasn't stopped them doing it or forced them back to 01 numbers, they are just treating every one with contempt!

http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News...

Two hospital calls cost patient £127

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AN ESSEX hospital has sparked outrage after it emerged an epileptic patient was charged £2.59 per minute when he phoned to arrange an appointment.

The “extortionate” rate emerged after Wayne Marshall ran up a £127 phone bill from just two calls to the outpatients department of Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

Mr Marshall, 30, had been trying to rearrange the time of an appointment and was placed on hold when he dialled the 0844 number.

The married father-of-two was left hanging on the telephone for 21 minutes when he made the first call at a price of £55, followed by a 28-minute wait the same day, costing him £72.

Last night the hospital said it only charged local rates of about five pence and could not understand why Mr Marshall had been hit with such a large amount.

Mr Marshall, who is unable to work because of the severity of his epileptic fits, said he would refuse to pay the £127 racked up on March 14.

The Witham man also said he feared others, without itemised bills, may be unaware if they have suffered the same problem.

He said: “I eventually got through on the second call, explained that I needed to change my appointment time and that was it, but when I looked at my bill online, I was absolutely flabbergasted.

“I would have thought it would have been no more than a few quid, even with all the time I spent on hold.

“I have spoken to BT and they have told me that there is no mistake. This is especially bad for elderly people if they do not have an itemised bill as they may be in the dark about how much it is costing them to make these calls.”

He said he was now planning to speak to his local MP, Brooks Newmark, to see if he would support his case.

A spokeswoman for Mid Essex Hospitals Trust, which runs Broomfield, invited Mr Marshall to get in touch with them.

She said: “We have been on the 0844 number for over a year and it is charged at a “lo-call” rate and that is the same from wherever you call in the country.

“If Mr Marshall wants this to be looked into, he can contact the trust and discuss it and perhaps BT should look into this as well.

“We have not had any other comments or complaints since it was introduced.

“It is not premium rate, it is just a non-geographic number, I have no idea why this has happened but if he wants to come to us, we will see what we can do. I don't know if it is down to us or the phone provider.”
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Someone has won a battle with their surgery!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=10053055#post10053055