BBC Radio Gloucestershire are intending to broadcast a story/debate about doctors using 0844 numbers tomorrow morning, Tuesday 11th September just after 7 am.   A doctor is apparently lined up to put his side of the case and the BBC will no doubt be seeking views from other people.   The link to Radio Gloucestershire is : ----

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/  

On the righthand side of the home page is a button to use to listen to the broadcast live over the web.   No doubt those living in the area will be able to tune in on their receivers.

Of course, there is never any guarantee that such a feature will actually be broadcast due to editorial considerations, but we believe there is a very good chance that this item will make it on to the airwaves.

Good listening.

A few extracts:


They appeared to have overlooked that, between 6am and 6pm on a weekday, a standard call costs 6p connection plus 3¼p per minute but calling these DRs' 0844 numbers costs 6p connection plus 5p per minute - that's 54% more per minute.


Apart from that being unlikely, how many of those who have only a mobile have a contract  mobile?



Who are they kidding?  WE already pay them £100,000 per year EACH for goodness sake!

The Doctor who attempted (but largely failed) to justify his use of an 0844 number said he welcomed feedback from the public and gave his e-mail address in order that they can send it.

It is mike@gloslmc.com

The broadcast starts at 6 am, but you can pause and forward 5 mins or 15 mins.  The main discussion started after the 7am news and continued through to 9 am.   It was the No.1 story on their news at 8.30 and 9am!!!

Some extracts from the broadcast : ---

The early news bulletins reported that 13 doctors practices in Gloucestershire are now "earning money from higher rate phone charges".

Dr Phillip Fielding, 0844 4778962, is the Deputy Chairman of Glos. Local Medical Committee.   He was interviewed first.   He tried to defend the actions of doctors going 0844.

It was reported that the "Strategic Health Authority" advised that patients should not be exploited, 03 numbers should be considered.

David Hickson on the phone said he found the prospect terrifyoing and is the thin edge of the wedge.  It breaches the principle of the NHS being "free at the point of delivery".  

A lady said it now cost her £1 per minute on her PAYG mobile to call her doctor!!   (Is this a new point?   We've always said it costs up to 40p on a mobile -- but she says £1 per min on PAYG!!!

A Mr Alistair (Campbell) from Market Harborough came on the phone and said that the phone cost was minimal and that "0844 numbers could be included in peoples phone packages"!!!   He said "£1 per min would be an absolute scandal if that were the case."   (Well Alistair --- it IS the case)

Mike Cumming said "Is funding the NHS by your phone calls --- is this really acceptable?  Is it a stealth thing and the start of something bigger (i.e. more charges being introduced)"

Mike Forster, Lay Secretary of the Glos. Local Medical Committee, said it cost up to £10,000 and £400 per month for a doctors phone system.    He said, and this quote was repeated in later news bulletins, " doctors are not allowed to recover more than the cost of the system from these phone charges".

An elderly lady said she was unhappy about all this and had taken her phone bill into her doctor to show these calls were charged at a PREMIUM rate.   The doctors now keep you on hold and it costs more.   Her husband now goes into the practice to make an appointment instead of phoning!!

Mike Forster came on again and said he would welcome and appreciate comments from the public and his email address is  mike@gloslmc.com  (01452 310706).

I have written to Mike Forster of Gloucester Local Medical Committee :---

To :---
Mike Forster,

I listened to your contribution to the discussion on BBC Radio Glos this morning and am taking up your invitation to feedback to you.

The most important point is that doctors should not breach the fundamental principle that the "NHS is free at the point of delivery".    You say that doctors are getting 1.2p per minute from these 0844 calls --- this amounts to charging patients a fee.  It is wrong.   You heard people say it is unfair.  Others have said it is unethical and unprincipled.    Inappropriate for the medical profession.

Be in no doubt, the public are mostly furious about this.  It is bound to be very damaging to the overall doctor/patient relationship.   It brings into question the morals and ethics of all doctors and this is causing great resentment against doctors.   It is a problem which will not go away until something is done to correct the unfairness.   For example, those doctors with 0844 already should be compelled to make their geographic number available so that, at least, patients can have a choice.   Those who couldn't care less or who think the cost is insignificant can continue to call 0844 --- but those to whom it matters should be able to call a geo number if they wish.

27 MPs signed an Early Day Motion (1989) in July 2007 "condemning" doctors use of 0844.   Other MPs like Martin Horwood are also concerned and raising questions about this.  There is a Petition on the Prime Ministers website against doctors using 0844 which has gained 7000 votes in just the last month.  More than 40 doctors have already signed this Petition so they at least are against.   This is a very important matter and should not be dismissed lightly.

There is a problem now, that patients in 13 of your practices are being compelled to pay extra to contact their doctors whilst those at the remaining 70 practices are paying no premium.     We know that some doctors do see this as a matter of principle and will never go to 0844 or 0845 so there is now an inconsistency of treatment between patients.   This is an unfairness which needs to be removed as quickly as possible.

You probably heard the elderly lady on todays programme say she was "unhappy about all this and had taken her phone bill into her doctor to show these calls were charged at a PREMIUM rate.   The doctors now keep you on hold and it costs more.   Her doctor calls used to be free within her package of inclusive geographic calls.   Her husband now goes into the practice to make an appointment instead of phoning".   Isn't this an absolutely deplorable situation??

I urge you and your Local Medical Committee to consider this whole subject as a matter of priority and make sure that steps are taken to rectify a totally unsatifactory situation.   I believe it will ultimately be to the benefit of all the doctors as well as their patients.

Yours most sincerely,

Guess what!!!

BBC Radio Bristol are running an item on doctors and their telephone numbers tomorrow, Wed starting just after the 7am news and again after the 8am news.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/local_radio/       Ckick on Listen Live.

They told me it is being run as their main local story tomorrow.

Good listening.

And what is useless conniving Ofcom doing to educate the public that 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871 numbers are not local and national rate or included in inclusive call packages but that the new 03 numbers they have launched are.  Is Ofcom going to take full page national newspaper ads about the joys of 03 numbers and why the NHS, DVLA, Inland Revenue, Police and all the other government scammers should be moving across to them.

Surely after Ofcom took full page newspaper ads about why de-regulating control of BT prices was such a good thing last summer we should now be expecting Ofcom to also give equivalent publicity to this new number range?

As to Alistair Campbell I take it he didn't say he is NEG's PR director.  What a disgrace.

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 11^th, 2007 at 9:08pm:


If you can't make it for the 8am slot you can always click on "Listen Again" and "Breakfast" during lunch or afternoon tea!

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 11^th, 2007 at 9:33pm:


As always, NGM, you make some very good points.   The interesting thing about this mornings broadcast was that we had two doctors representatives trying to defend their decisions and struggling against some fairly simple questions.   They knew they had a hard to defend position.   The local MP, Martin Horwood, very strongly made the point about 0844 breaching the principle of NHS being free at the point of delivery and so did the host to the show.   We are unlikely to win the whole argument in one go.   This is an ongoing campaign.  The point is that we are making some doctors, at least, feel very uncomfortable about this and medical organisations are now talking about it.   In these circumstances I think many doctors will think very carefully about choosing 0844 and revenue sharing.   Hopefully most will soon be put off the whole idea.   This is the first stage.   Remember, Radio Glos made doctors and 0844 their No.1 story on the 9am news ahead of the McCanns story!!!   They must have had a lot of people phoning in.   This is why Bristol are doing it tomorrow, they want a nice bit of controversy as well.

With continued publicity and agitation by concerned MPs, and we probably have a surprisingly large number now  (don't want to say numbers just yet: you never know who might be reading this), the whole question is going to be escalated.   

Why not set your alarm and throw your weight into this, just for one day, you might even enjoy it.   I think you could really stir things up.    It is only time before the Nationals pick this up again.   I hope you will be able to rise early next week when it is on Breakfast TV.

I mention the Petition whenever I can and I am sure it will start getting into the press soon.