Dave wrote on Feb 1
st, 2010 at 4:15pm:
Quote:Practice manager, Debbie Weston, told Worcester News: “... to charge one extra pence per minute is not that bad.”
If Ms Weston was managing a private medical service then she would be free to make such claims (although this one is not strictly accurate).
Even if it were, it would not be acceptable for the NHS, which is "free at the point of need". Her claim may be taken as confirmation that the surgery will not be able to continue using this number once the revised terms of the GMS contract come into effect shortly, as these will quite properly outlaw use of any number which causes any excess charge to be incurred by a patient.
The patients who indicated that they were happy to pay for NHS services will have to make their voluntary contributions in other ways.
(For the record, it is understood that this surgery is not using the same system as most of those with 0844 numbers.)