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GP phone numbers switch
WORK is continuing in doctors surgeries across Sheffield to switch any remaining 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers over to a geographic code.
A Department of Health deadline in April - which said patients should not be charged at more than a local rate whether they were ringing from a landline, mobile phone or public telephone - passed without all practices in the region meeting the requirements.
NHS Sheffield then set a revised deadline of the end of July, although work is still continuing to support surgeries as they make the switch.
A spokeswoman for the PCT said: “While the regulations do not mean practices have to use specific numbers, NHS Sheffield have advised all practices that the best way of ensuring that they meet the requirements of the regulations is to switch to a geographic number starting with 0114 or 03.
Whilst we are continuing to encourage practices to switch at the earliest opportunity, there are a number of factors that may affect their ability to do this immediately, for example the terms of any contracts they may have. Until a practice is in a position to confirm to us that on the whole callers to their practice are not being charged at more than the geographic rate, some practices are implementing a call back policy, for people unable to call their practice from a BT landline.”
NHS Rotherham said they were “reviewing their policy” with regard to the use of non-geographic numbers, while NHS Doncaster said practices using 0844 or 0845 numbers had assurances from their service providers that patients were not being charged more than a local rate.
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
kayte
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 03:54 PMMy understanding of 08xx numbers is that these do not exist physically, but only in the software of the telephone exchange, and that to have one you first need a geographic number landline (physically wired to your premises) to which calls to the 08xx number are diverted by routing tables in the exchange. Why then is it so difficult to change? Cannot the underlying geographic number just be advertised in place of the 08xx?
David Hickson
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 09:12 AMApologies that my earlier comment could not be presented in a readable form - I have republished it at http:tiny.ccbwmxe ________ I have also added a point that I omitted: "BT does not include calls to 0845 number in its "social tariff" - BT Basic."
David Hickson
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 08:30 AMThe work being undertaken by NHS Sheffield is to be commended. Both it and the practices should however be aware that switching to a geographic or 03 number is the ONLY way of achieving the compliance with the terms of the contract, which was demanded by 1 April 2011. GP contracts covering leasing of equipment and use of a particular system cannot preclude use of a legitimate telephone number. Migration to a 03 number is an option available to every practice. The revisions to the contractual terms were applied in April 2010. Practices have had plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. NHS Rotheram has no need to continue to "review its policy"; its duty to enforce the terms of the contract has been unchanged since these revisions were applied 16 MONTHS AGO. Along with the other PCTs, NHS Rotheram is set to be abolished in 20 months time. This behaviour does not help those of us who are campaigning to defend the NHS and the public servants who are charged with uploading its values. **** NHS Doncaster and its practices should take a little trouble to check what patients are actually paying to call their GPs. When one looks at the facts it may be seen that the providers to the practices were mistaken in their assurances! The implication that those calling from a BT line do not pay more to call 084 numbers than for an equivalent call to a geographic number is incorrect. Whilst BT itself includes calls to 0845 numbers in the consequently inflated cost of its Call Plans, other call providers who may be used by those with BT lines do not. Nobody includes calls to 0844 numbers in their standard packages, so these invariably cause callers to incur a premium charge. The expense of a "call back" system that prevents those wishing to speak with their surgery from incurring illegal surcharges is a ridiculous waste of money. Every practice is readily able to move swiftly into compliance - the call back idea is pure nonsense.
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