derrick wrote on Aug 8^th, 2007 at 3:49pm:

Here's one from http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/04/nr_20060419

"Public bodies

Ofcom continues to recommend that public bodies should not use NTS numbers exclusively (ie: without giving equal prominence to a geographic alternative) especially when dealing with people on low incomes or other vulnerable groups."

pw4 wrote on Aug 8^th, 2007 at 4:34pm:

Interesting.  That's certainly one to throw at Essex County Council (Barbara?).

Wouldn't a GPs' surgery be a 'public body' too?

Source: Healthcare Republic

http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/PRACTICESTAFF/781087/Minister-cut-NHS-Dir...

<<

Minister to cut NHS Direct charges to set example for GPs

04-Feb-08

A DoH minister has pledged to cut charges for calls to NHS Direct to set a good example for GP practices that have signed up to high-rate phone services.

The standard cost of a call to NHS Direct is between 3p and 5p per minute, but people calling from mobiles or non-BT landlines may be charged more.

Asked for an assurance that NHS Direct would not be allowed to continue to use 0845 or other higher-rate telephone charges when its phone contract is renewed, junior health minister Ivan Lewis told MPs: ‘I can give a cast-iron guarantee that that will not be allowed to continue.

‘That provides a very important example of the government leading by example in this area.'

A spokeswoman for NHS Direct recognised that some telephone providers may charge high rates on top of the basic cost of a call to the service.

‘We are in discussion with the DoH, which set up the 0845 number in 1997, and we are looking at other options,' she said.

She said that using a freephone 0800 number had been ruled out by the DoH in the past because research suggested it would attract too many hoax callers.

The spokeswoman said the phone line was likely to be changed in 2008.

>>

Source: Rob Marris MP

http://www.robmarris.org.uk/index.php/?p=747

0845 Victory – NHS Direct changes it’s number!

28 July 2008

<<
Rob has welcomed progress on the change of the NHS Direct telephone number from the high-rate 0845, to the standard rate 0345. Unlike the 0845 number the new number will be charged at a standard rate, which will in the future be included in any pre-paid packages.

In January this year, Rob championed a call for the number to be altered and was “delighted” to receive a ‘cast iron’ guarantee from the Under Secretary of State for Health that the contract for NHS Direct would not be renewed with an 0845 number, this news confirms that the this transition is currently in progress.

BT Wholesale has announced that NHS Direct will be changing its main telephone number from 0845 4647 to 0345 4647. However, there is a slight disappointment in that the 0345 number is currently only connected to a test message, but the date of a change-over is soon to be announced along with the results of a Department of Health enquiry into the NHS Direct telephone service launched in January this year.

Commenting on the announcement Rob said: “the progress on the usage of 0845 and 0844 numbers is a step forward not just for the NHS Direct service, but also for other public services with which a similar transition could be implemented, easing the burden on those who can least afford it.”

Rob said earlier in the year: “I am pleased that the Government is listening to the many concerns being raised around the widespread use of these numbers and look forward to future measures being considered that ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are not penalised through excessive charging when trying to access essential services.”
>>

The notice was published on BT Wholesale's website and was only on there for a day before being removed.

idb wrote on Jul 29^th, 2008 at 12:39pm:


It is not happening!

I saw the announcement by BT but it has now been withdrawn.

This is clearly a “developing story”.

The story so far appears to be:

1) April 2007: BT reserves the 03454 64 range of numbers

2) January 2008: In parliament, Ivan Lewis offers a “cast iron guarantee” to Rob Marris that use of 0845 4647 will not continue, subject to the obligations under its contract to BT.

3) May 2008: A representative of NHS Direct advises that its current contract with BT “does not tie NHS Direct into the use of 0845 4647 and instead allows the use of any non geographic number hosted by BT”. (This was not an authorised public statement and needs to be verified.)

4) 24 June 2008: Murray Bain, director of IT at NHS Direct, tells E-Health Insider that one of his two favourite websites is Google “– it is such a fountain of knowledge”.

5) 23 July 2008: BT Wholesale publishes an announcement that 0345 4647 “will eventually replace 0845 4647”. This web page (https://www.btwholesale.com/pages/downloads/News_and_Briefings/Interconnect_Brie...) is found by Google and cached.

6) 25 July 2008: The web page referred to above is found to have been removed. The “fountain” appears to have been blocked or muddied. There is no formal explained withdrawal or cancellation of the announcement. The Google cached copy remains.

7) 29 July 2008: E-Health Insider publishes an explanation from NHS Direct – “There are currently no plans to utilise this number. NHS Direct asked BT Wholesale to take the note down as it was misleading.” The article also reports that Rob Marris has written to Ivan Lewis to ask for an explanation of what is going on.


Discussions about use of a new national three-digit number for urgent (but non-emergency) access to medical and social care services have been going on for some time. These are likely to continue for a long time to come as these services are currently provided by a wide array of private sector commercial companies, public bodies and co-operatives, each with their own telephone number for each local service. The Darzi process has revealed that each Strategic Health Authority (representing the regions of England) has a different view of the need and the feasibility of such a national service.

If such a service were to be introduced, it is possible that NHS Direct would be invited to tender for some level of involvement. This is however quite separate from the role that NHS Direct currently performs in providing general health advice for England and Wales. There is no published proposal to remove the contract for provision of non-urgent health advice from NHS Direct, nor for such advice to be accessed using a national three-digit number.

It could be said that this separate issue represents a “red herring” in the context of the need for NHS Direct to cease use of revenue sharing 0845 numbers.

As hinted in the article, it could be that NHS Direct is compelled to use 0345 4647 for its services under contract to NHS Wales. But that would be to add further confusion …

We await developments.

Great news, if the Government hold to it's word but it might not. Why should anyone who is on has telephone package's like Talk Unlimited or any other package which includes local numbers in the package who needs to seek advice's from NHS Direct pay over the top!