This isn't a surgery saying "no" to 0844, but a Foundation Health Trust. North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) currently uses a block of 0844 numbers and these are due to be replaced with 0300 ones on 2nd April.

Here is the recent news release:

Quote:

The reason given for the change is clearly given as being feedback from users. It does not make any mention of the requirement to comply with the Directions to NHS Bodies concerning the cost of telephone calls, even belatedly. This came into force on 21st December 2009 and gave Bodies exactly a year in which to comply, but NELFT carried on in defiance.

Is this the future NHS where service providers respond to feedback from "customers" instead of the current one we have where the first principle is that services are free at the point of need, funded by general taxation?

Coming back to the subject of misuse of Business Rate phone numbers, the contact page states:

Calls from a BT landline will be charged at the standard local rate.
Calls from other landlines and mobile providers will differ in price.

The prefix used by NELFT is 0844 600 and this is g8 charge rate which is 1.02 pence per minute at all times from BT lines. The statement about price to ring the 0844 number is greater than the actual price as calls from BT are less than the "standard" local rate which is 4.032 pence per minute during weekday daytimes.

The reality is that since 2004 residential BT customers have not paid "standard" rates for geographic calls due to the fact that "discounted" Calling Plans (formerly BT Together Options) were made the norm. Of course, calls to NELFT's 0844 numbers have never been open to any BT discount, as by their very nature, BT discounts are not permitted as they would reduce to the level of Service Charge from which it benefits via its communications provider.


NELFT has clearly been one of those organisations that misuses Business Rate numbers, not only because being an NHS Body it shouldn't be levying a fee in the first place, but because it favours some customers of one particular telephone provider, when as a public service provider it should not be acting in such a way.

It lives in the dark ages by harping back to BT "standard" rates, which are essentially defunct "pre-competition" rates. To give it its due though, it does recognise that the charges made by other providers will differ. Many misusers simply say that others "may" differ.

Dr Cloak and Partners in Sunderland is changing from a 0844 number to 0191 number:

Quote:

NGMsGhost wrote on Aug 17^th, 2012 at 10:41am:

Well said.

The following message has just been sent to the practice using its "comment form".

Quote:

NGMsGhost wrote on Aug 18^th, 2012 at 1:59pm:

I hope that the comment quoted above allows due consideration for the possibility that the patients at the practice in question have expressed a general preference for re-dialling.

I have to admit to being unsure about how many people mistakenly believe that the Unlimited Anytime plan is only suitable for those who make many weekday daytime calls. The break-even point is very low and daytime now extends to 7pm. Many of those who opt only for the Evening and Weekends (or Weekend only) plan, do so because they use their mobile phone for daytime calls. Both BT and Virgin Media have assured me that the overwhelming majority of daytime geographic calls are made under the terms of a call plan.

There are however exceptions. If there are a considerable number of patients who pay for calls to geographic rate numbers, then it could be very difficult for a practice to make a determination about which option is best. I am concerned that the practice in question may have suggested that queueing can only be done with premium charges in place.

We know that Ofcom does not like fixed call setup fees. It may be that when the "Access Charge" element of the "unbundled tariff" comes into effect (with setup fees prohibited) then the same principle will be applied to the "penalty charges" levied for otherwise inclusive calls to geographic numbers.

Munro Medical Centre has changed its number from a 0844 one to a 01775 one.

A story from the Spalding Guardian:

Victory claimed as medical centre ditches “expensive” phone number

Thornhills Medical Practice, Larkfield, Aylesford, Kent have ended their 0844 contract early, and were due to swap to an 01732 number in December 2012, but this is now delayed for 6 weeks.

http://www.thornhillsmedical.nhs.uk/userfiles/image/Statementrenewtelephonesyste...

Yet again, no mention that the DoH banned 0844 numbers in April 2010. Additionally, no mention of the 0344 alternative that would allow them to keep the same equipment with all its current features.

London hasn't changed to 020. It says so right here...

http://www.theargus.co.uk/li/style_guide/style_guide_q_t/

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