The 0844 number goes through to a menu with options for each surgery.

The 01227 749662 number goes through to options, voiced by the same female, although they aren't for each surgery (i.e. not the same as 0844).

Thank dave that number is working at the moment however it also will change to same 0844 number  shortly 

That is in direct breach of the regulations.

GPs were banned from using 0844 numbers in April 2010 and given one year to stop using them.

The practice manager needs to made aware of your grievance. I guess the NHS Choices website will reveal the name of who you need to contact.

Point out that GPs must use a number that costs no more than an 01 number to call, whether from a landline or from a mobile.

Point out that 0844 numbers were banned in April 2010 and GPs were given until April 2011 to comply.

You'll most likely be met with the following arguments for their use of an 0844 number:

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This is simply not true. "Local rate" was abolished by BT in 2006. For most callers, calls to 01 (and 02/03) numbers from landlines appear in their bundled minutes and are effectively "free".

Calls to 0844 numbers from landlines are almost always chargeable and so the caller is paying "more" to call their GP on an 0844 number than they would on an 01 number.

The Advertising Standards Authority have already taken action against many companies incorrectly claiming their 084 number is a "local rate" call. This is a "misleading pricing indication".

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Sure, yes; if you call an 01 number from a mobile it might cost more than calling an 01 number from a landline, but that is not the point. GPs are required to provide a number that costs no more to call from a mobile than an 01 number costs from a mobile. 0844 numbers fail that test.

Callers using their mobile phone on a contract have 01 (and 02/03) numbers within their bundled minutes and those calls are effectively "free". Calls to 0844 numbers from a mobile phone cost up to 41 pence per minute "more" than calling 01 numbers.

For callers using a pay-as-you-go phone, calls to 01 numbers typically cost from 5 to 25 pence per minute, but calls to 0844 numbers typically cost 25 to 41 pence per minute. This is patently "more". The other problem here is that the caller isn't charged as soon as they start talking, instead they are usually put in a queue for at least several minutes - all the while being charged and running their credit down.

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That's not good enough. The caller has already spent a hefty sum in the queue before getting to speak to someone.

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By it's very nature the 0844 number carries a service charge (or "premium") of several pence per minute. That money goes somewhere - usually to the supplier of the equipment the surgery now uses to receive calls from patients. Their phone line supplier rakes off several pence per minute from every call made to the surgery even if the surgery doesn't directly benefit.

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That all depends on what "this" is. They might have wanted a more efficent way to contact their GP, but were probably not aware that the call cost would increase by up to 41 pence per minute on the 0844 scheme their GP has chosen.

Patients were probably asked "do you want a queueing system on a local-call rate number?" By using an 0844 number the patients now have a queueing system on a premium (small "p") rate number.

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At that time, almost none of them would have had sight of their phone bill detailing the cost of the relevant calls. A survey several months in would be much more revealing.

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They don't have to. There's an 0344 number already reserved for their exclusive use. All 03 numbers are charged at the same rate as 01 and 02 numbers from landlines and from mobiles and are included in bundled "free" minutes on both landline and mobile packages.


You can refer them to many recent articles in major national newspapers that clearly state that 0844 numbers are banned.

You could refer them to the statement made by the Secretary of State in Parliament in March 2012 when he said:
"We have made it very clear that GPs should not be using 0844 numbers for that purpose and charging patients for them."
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2012-03-27a.1326.4&s=%28no+OR+not%29+A...

They could watch the Northern Ireland Assembly debate from May 2012 where these points were quite clearly made in detail by several people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/northern_ireland/newsid_9724000/9724397.s...

You could refer them to David Hickson's massive amount of background material and to the fine media interviews found here and here.


It's inexcusable that two years after the ban, GPs are still signing up to this scheme.

It's doubly inexcusable that the product is still offered for sale to GPs when it is not fit for purpose.


Write to your MP.

Thank you all for your efforts we do not feel that we are able to approach the surgery ourseives as we cannot afford to have problems, being patients of the surgery we do not want to have repercussions appreciate all the help   

The 0844 number quoted in the PDF is different to the one at the top of this thread (is it the right one?), presumably it has been written by their phone supplier and issued to multiple customers.

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They stop just short of saying "it's local rate", a claim that would easily result in successful action from the ASA, but merely claim "similar to". Well, if "4 pence per minute" is similar to "nothing at all per minute" then they do have a point. And, cleverly, they fail to mention calls from mobile telephones at all. For 0844 numbers, calls from mobiles often cost about six to ten times as much as calls from landlines.

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Hearing the engaged tone costs nothing. Now that every call is answered and placed in a queue, you start paying immediately and continue to be charged while in the queue. If you hang up because the wait is too long, you will still pay for the time spent in the queue. This is not a pricing improvement vs. paying nothing for unsuccessful calls which previously led to an engaged tone.

Park is the main surgery in Herne Bay it also has a branch surgery at Herne and Broomfield which is about 5 miles away and if it hasn't already is apparently changing to the same 0844 number.  When the system is fully operational there will be a selection process when you call in for one or the other surgery.
Today the original  01227 749662 number for Herne and Broomfield surgery now states Park and Broomfield Surgeries  does not ring just immediately answers so where they said that it would go to 0844 number on 17th August not sure whats happened there.  It looks from the website that they have amalgamated to 0844 but the old 01227 749662 is still operational. However the old number for Herne Bay main surgery which was 01227 742200 has a message which reverts you to the 0844 number.  So for now will continue to use the 01227 749662 number to get through.  Perhaps this is the main lead geographical number for both surgeries now?  Hope this makes sense.