SAYNOTO0870.COM - GP 0870 numbers could be banned

idb

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #15 - Feb 4^th, 2005 at 3:49pm

http://www.islingtonexpress.co.uk/content/highandi/news/story.aspx?brand=NorthLo...

(last paragraph)

More of the same:

>>>

St Paul's Road Medical Centre has become the first GP surgery in Islington to introduce an 0870 number for appointments. Some patients have expressed concern about the cost of calls, but staff at the surgery insist they aren't premium rate and the new system will allow calls to be answered more quickly and efficiently.

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bill

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #16 - Feb 4^th, 2005 at 4:01pm

Can someone please explain to me how, unless the number of staff answering the calls is increased, a phone ringing when the caller has dialled an 0870 number instead of its geographical predecessor can be answered ".... more quickly and efficiently".

Surely, what they mean is there are more 0870 lines than there were geographical lines and the NEG system auto-answers calls and dumps them into its automated queuing system (at 8p/minute or part thereof) until someone is available to answer.

That's not ".... more quickly and efficiently". That's ".... more profitably".

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« Last Edit: Feb 4^th, 2005 at 4:49pm by bill »

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idb

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #17 - Feb 4^th, 2005 at 4:08pm

Quote:

Can someone please explain to me how, unless the number of staff answering the calls is increased, a phone ringing when the caller has dialled an 0870 number instead of its geographical predecessor can be answered ".... more quickly and efficiently".

Surely, what they mean is there are more 0870 lines than there were geographical lines and the NEG system auto-answers calls and dumps them into its automated queuing system (at 8p/minute or part thereof) until someone is available to answer.

I suspect this is exactly what happens. When I lived in the UK, my surgery would often be busy when I called. Big deal - the redial button or BT's ringback meant that I could get through fairly quickly. I assume that the excuses NEG gives about getting through more quickly relate to the patient being queued immediately rather than getting a busy signal, hence its criterion for "better service" has been met.

Has anyone called one of the rip-off surgery 0870 numbers to see what happens? I would, but I am prevented from doing so from here (USA) as the telco doesn't route. An alternative telco charges 69c/min and I'm not prepared to pay that!

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idb

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #18 - Feb 4^th, 2005 at 4:21pm

What would happen if a patient had a medical emergency overseas and the foreign health care provider needed to contact the patient's GP for information, for example current medication/treatment? The use of rip-off 0870 may well mean that the provider could not get through and in extreme cases, leading to serious illness or even death. The NHS should take this into account when considering what to do with GPs using premium numbers.

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lompos Supreme Member Offline Posts: 791	Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned Reply #19 - Feb 5^th, 2005 at 9:25am Precisely. I just put this point to my NHS Primary Care Trust.
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peter.t Newbie Offline Posts: 1	Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned Reply #20 - Feb 5^th, 2005 at 10:04am Hi. I have been e-mailing my MP Steve Webb recently on this subject. He going to contact OFCOM for me. I found for him- by chance- an artical at Times Online 23 Jan 05 discussing this scam & what to do about it. Hence, found this site. Pete
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idb

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #21 - Feb 5^th, 2005 at 2:21pm

More extortion from NEG:

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/145/145219_gps_rapped_over_call_charges...

>>>

GPs rapped over call charges
BEATRIZ AYALA

ANGRY patients have accused a surgery of cashing in on their illness by installing a premium rate phone line.

Rochdale's Edenfield Road Surgery has scrapped its previous local 01706 number in favour of an 0870 number - which charges callers at national call rates. Patients who call to book appointments or repeat prescriptions will pay 8p a minute - almost double the rate from the previous local number.

The surgery will take a percentage cut of the proceeds from the calls.

One patient, Clive Entwistle, said: "It is really disgraceful to be profiting from hard-up patients. They are taking money from old people, some of whom will call regularly for repeat prescriptions.

"My wife was on the phone to our surgery for about 12 minutes and she was charged a pound. I have told her to drive down to make an appointment in future."

An elderly patient, who wished to remain anonymous, added: "I am a pensioner, so I really depend on this service, but I can't afford these calls."

Trend

Edenfield Road Surgery has refused to comment. It is the only practice of 22 in Rochdale to have introduced the national rate number.

Amanda Clegg, development manager at Rochdale Primary Care Trust, said: "We can only advise practices against introducing the national rate calls, which we understand may upset the public. However, we have no control over GPs' individual choices, although we do not support this trend."

Almost 300 surgeries across the country, serving more than a million patients, have started using the service called Surgery Line, which is supplied by NEG and involves a modern switchboard system.

NEG argues that the Surgery Line system avoids patients being kept on hold or in a queue when phoning their GP as it is quicker at routing calls. So although the cost per minute of a Surgery Line call is higher, the total call cost is often lower as patients are not on the phone as long as they used to be.

Richard Chapman, chief executive of NEG, said: "Doctors surgeries do not make a profit from Surgery Line. The 0870 number is simply a mechanism that enables them to fund a state-of-the-art switchboard offering a better service for patients and reduced waiting times."

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andy9 Supreme Member Offline Posts: 505	Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned Reply #22 - Feb 5^th, 2005 at 2:52pm Will everybody please excuse my naivety and swearing Just how much does a bloody switchboard cost? I can't support guesses in tens of thousands which could be the revenue in five years. £10000 would be just over 2 hours a day; if the usage is less than this, use only 1 or 2 phones
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juby Full Member Offline Posts: 203 Gloucestershire Gender:	Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned Reply #23 - Feb 5^th, 2005 at 8:55pm Andy9, A few hundred pounds, the average doctor's surgery has two operators on at all times. There is no way they can justify any more money. It is a complete rip off, trouble is the doctors (most of them) are unaware that they are being used. J
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idb

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #24 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 4:28pm

From "This is Hertfordshire"

>>>

http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/news/borehamwood/display.var.569778.0.surge...

The GP surgery which charges its patients 8p per minute to book an appointment over the telephone may be forced to abandon the scheme after the Department of Health said it was 'investigating with a view to banning' the use of 0870 numbers in its practices.

The Grove Road Medical Centre in Grove Road, Borehamwood, is one of about 300 GP surgeries in the UK which has changed its phone number to a 'national rate' line with an 0870 prefix in a bid to save money. The Grove Road centre has a new telephone system paid for by a company who will take the profits from the 0870 number for the next five years.

But Government ministers and some GPs have objected to the new number because they say people should not be over-charged for calling their doctor. At 8p a minute a call to the Grove Road Medical Centre is more than twice the price of a standard local BT call.

Some press reports have said a decision to ban the 0870 numbers has already been made, but a Department of Health spokesman this week that was the case. He said: "This is a complex issue and we are looking at the wider implications at the moment, but to say we have banned it is premature. We are investigating and will clarify our position in due course. All I can say is that we are investigating with a view to banning them, but we cannot say anything more at this stage."

The spokesman added he could not give any indication of how long the investigation would take.

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andy9

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #25 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 5:00pm

Quote:

Richard Chapman, chief executive of NEG, said: "Doctors surgeries do not make a profit from Surgery Line. The 0870 number is simply a mechanism that enables them to fund a state-of-the-art switchboard offering a better service for patients and reduced waiting times."

I looked at this again.

If the doctor's make no profit then NEG gets the lot; what can the doctor's motivation be?

It's a pack of deliberate lies, mis-selling; I thought there were laws against deliberately perverse contracts. Why so much prevarication against banning them?

The mis-selling of certain financial products has been subject to considerable attention over the years; many compensation claims are still in process ... Will we see similar corrective action?

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« Last Edit: Feb 12^th, 2005 at 5:05pm by andy9 »

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andy9

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #26 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 7:35pm

Forgive me for linking to another forum, especially as I'm not a member there (well maybe they're the ones I should ask!)

http://dcomtalk.com/ftopic6770-0-asc-0.html

Quote from the first post 7Feb
Quote:

Short article in Sat's Daily Mail (forgive me..) saying the Dept of
Health was banning surgeries from using 0870s. One of the companies
which is affected said they would be claiming the cost of early
termination of the contract - estimated at 10mil or so. The reputation
of "cashing in on the poor" was quoted as the trigger for the DoH's
decision

10 million ! (- my guess was 3)

It's lucky they didn't sign up the whole lot - billions

I don't think they deserve compensation; they should be sued for compensation for mis-selling overpriced gear

300 pbx at a few hundred pounds converted in 4 years into multi-millions?

I've heard people say the NHS is a black hole of overpriced deals ...

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bill

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #27 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 7:46pm

I just love one of the replies on that forum to the Quote:

One of the companies which is affected said they would be claiming the cost of early termination of the contract - estimated at 10mil or so.

comment:

So don't actually terminate the contract, leave the 0870 number in place, but just advertise the *other* number ...

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Shiggaddi

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #28 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 9:00pm

That would be the best idea, by giving the patients the proper number, the patients can continue to call, and the contract with the 0870 number is still in place, albeit not receiving any calls though.

I'm sure NEG would not be in a position to take action against surgeries not generating any revenue, as they mis-sold the numbers in the first place.

So, the end result, is that surgeries have better phones, with a geographic number, and paid for by NEG, who should in future receive no payment for trying to fleece us all!!

I think that's "JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!!" lol but for NEG it's "A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW"

Any other ideas for puns!!

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I realy hait itt wen peeple canot spel proply. Itt getts onn mye nervs sew mutch annd streses mee owt. Knot onley iz itt vary bade speling butt allso bade gramer.

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lompos

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Re: GP 0870 numbers could be banned
Reply #29 - Feb 12^th, 2005 at 9:20pm

GPs are self employed contractors to the NHS. They are organising their businesses themselves. Most group practices employ practice managers.

If they made a bad business decision like signing a contract with NEG, and did not foresee the consequences, they should pay any penalties from their own pockets - and sack the practice manager.

Remember GPs earn £60,000++.

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