SilentCallsVictim wrote on Apr 5^th, 2011 at 10:48pm:

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With the deadline for compliance with the contract revisions now passed, I have published this document. It has been brought to the attention of media, MPs and PCTs, by circular messages.

There is nothing contentious, as it only contains links to NHS Choices and published telephone tariffs.

This information is freely available to anyone who wishes to take up any issue with their own PCT, surgery, MP or the media.

As the deadline set by DH has now passed, many GP surgeries continue to charge more than the price of a geographic call by way of 084x numbers.

SilentCallsVictim's league table includes a comprehensive list of offending surgeries by area and parliamentary constituency.

I urge everyone to support this in any way they can, such as by getting publicity from local media, and contacting their MP.

speedy wrote on Apr 29^th, 2011 at 8:58pm:

I would not support a demand that those who make calls to Geographic Rate numbers without paying a call charge should perhaps be denied the opportunity to queue to wait to speak to a GP receptionist.

I recognise that those who pay for Geographic Rate calls and perhaps cannot afford to queue may be seen as being disadvantaged against those who have these calls as inclusive or are ready and able to pay to queue. I see that as being one of the many unfairnesses of life; it is not something which must be addressed by limiting use of a helpful and otherwise equitable feature - i.e. an orderly queue of callers waiting to get through in turn.

I certainly do not want to think about measures that may need to be taken if use of expensive numbers is to continue - it simply must not!

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speedy wrote on Apr 29^th, 2011 at 8:58pm:

With the GP contract revisions in place, I see no need to arrange a further petition to call for action on the call rate that may apply to calls to GPs. It is simply a matter of getting the PCTs (under threat of abolition) to do their jobs.

Many of those who have computers are able to book GP appointments and to make and monitor the progress of repeat subscriptions online, and so have less need to use the telephone to contact the surgery. (Not all practices offer this facility, but it is spreading.)

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speedy wrote on Apr 29^th, 2011 at 8:58pm:

The actual cost incurred by a patient in calling a 084 number is useful information for the practice, the PCT and the media.

I have published a table of illustrative costs with links to the published tariffs. This should be quite sufficient to demonstrate that the ban applies to all 084 numbers, however specific evidence may carry more weight, when it is readily available.

I do not want us to get into the consumerist situation where it is only the weight of complaints and specific cases that may require GPs to give up their expensive numbers. The NHS works on points of principle (whether that be for good or ill).

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Local and national media coverage of this issue, since the 1 April deadline, is growing nicely and more is expected. Some of it has been discussed in this thread.

To help those who wish to follow the developing story, I have assembled a news feed for this specific topic, excluding my own published contributions which are seen in my general topic feed. The feed content is available to view by following this link. One may also "subscribe" (no charge) to receive updates as items are added, either by email or through a "feed viewer".

Members may wish to discuss these items in this forum, or simply draw attention to them for the benefit of those who use the forum as a "news digest".

Headline in todays Kenilworth Weekly News ----





"....  a campaigner has called for an end to charging patients for calls - and warned that patients calling their surgery from mobile phones or landlines other than BT should check their charges.



Clarendon Lodge, Brese Avenue, Priory Medical Centre, Southam Surgery and Abbey Medical Centre all use Network Europe Group’s Surgery Line system to manage calls from patients, who can pay up to 41p if they call from some mobile phone providers"

http://www.kenilworthweeklynews.co.uk/news/company_defends_charges_for_calling_g...

speedy wrote on Apr 29^th, 2011 at 8:58pm:

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I have also written to my MP Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central) I have been contacted by phone and they are writing to the relevent minister. I urge every body that is interested to write to their MP in regard to both surgery 0845 numbers and NHS 0845 umbers this will give the campsign legs

Dave wrote on May 2^nd, 2011 at 9:08pm:

I would add that during this period of "pause and reflect" on the Health and Social Care Bill, it also draws the issue of the NHS being "free at the point of need" into the spotlight. There has so far been little discussion of what is necessary to protect this principle - especially as PCTs, who have the task of enforcing the terms of the contract, are to be abolished under the terms of the Bill as it stands.

Perhaps we should pause to see if they can do their job, and then think about how this may best be done in future, before we allow their formal abolition to be enshrined in statute. (Personally I have my doubts about contracted private sector GP consortium administrators checking up on consortium members and then reporting them to the National Commissioning Board to instigate civil action for a breach of contract.)


I have commented - PCT Clusters to enforce principle of "free at the point of need" before the NHS can move forward.

This blog posting introduces the list of surgeries in breach of their NHS contracts. Arranged by region and PCT Cluster, they are then grouped by parliamentary constituency with a link to the MP profile (including the email address). There is also a link to each NHS Choices entry, where patients of the practice may add a comment for publication and response. This was done to enable and encourage engagement.


What is needed now is for a Health Minister (Burns or Lansley) to make a clear public comment that any 084 number is bound to be more expensive for at least some NHS patients to call and that PCTs are expected to apply the terms of the GP contract on this basis. I would encourage MPs to press for this, whilst also making contact with their PCT.

NEG has now admitted that calls from mobiles and non-BT landlines are more expensive than equivalent calls to geographic numbers - this wrongly excludes BT Call Plan users, but it is enough for the purpose of establishing a breach of contract. A formal comment from a Minister will resolve the confusion caused by earlier statements that did not offer any opinion about whether 084 numbers were or were not more expensive. This has been taken to represent formal approval of their use, when there was no such intention!

The government must be threatened that if it fails to take decisive action on this vital issue, this must be taken as indicating that the commitment to the principle of "free at the point of need", so commonly repeated by Cameron and Lansley, is just meaningless words. It may sound tough, but one is only asking for a very simple statement of fact to be given ministerial endorsement.

(One hopes that a suitably worried Health Minister will not pause to consider the implications of such a comment for other government departments.)

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I am somewhat embarrassed to refer to a newspaper editorial stating "This shameless exploitation of the vulnerable must cease". My comment taking issue with another piece on the same page (as I would with much that appears there) has not been published. A link is however to be found, along with other recent media coverage (and more that is expected to follow) in this feed.

Dave

Have received your PM but Forum Rules that I need to make 5 posts to reply to PM direct     I dont believe I could make enough of a contribution - I am having dificulties getting call costs from person that has to phone 0844 but will keep trying.

However, some good news I have received a letter from House of Commons today and the our MP and has said : 

quote "I have raised your concerns with the local Primary Care Trust and will provide you with a copy of the response that I receive"

Although I asked for Country wide support it looks that it is only going to be Local Support - I will wait for that response before taking it to the next stage - to the Local Papers