SAYNOTO0870.COM - NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investigation

jgxenite

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #495 - Aug 8^th, 2007 at 10:45pm

idb wrote on Aug 7^th, 2007 at 10:21pm:

Commercial director, Charlotte Brown, said the cut came in response to customer feedback and was designed to encourage more people to use the service.

She said the previous increase in charges had put patients off making calls and admitted "it was clearly a mistake for us to put the price of outgoing calls up".

I think Patientline must have sent out this quote to every paper as it was printed (more or less) exactly like this in a (very small!) news piece run by my local paper today.

I'm surprised Patientline hasn't got it into their thick skulls that people aren't going to use their incoming call service because it is extortionate, and the sick and elderly won't want to use the outgoing call service, even if prices (appear to) have dropped. Also, I can't see why it should be such an issue for Patientline to change to a cheaper 070 tariff - unless they are taking a revenue share on it, which I thought was banned from 070 nunbers... or has Ofcom slipped that rule out while nobody was looking?

To quote a phrase from the hilarious Acorn Antiques, "money talks, even in hospitals".

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« Last Edit: Aug 8^th, 2007 at 10:48pm by jgxenite »

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warholian

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #496 - Aug 31^st, 2007 at 12:06am

Hi it was written by a marketing exec at premier. I worked for them for two years as an advisor. The hospital where i worked are so fed up with premier its unreal. I still have friends who work there and get to know every latest development. Premier are the most greedy and sneeky people i have ever worked for.They put signs up round hospitals saying it is hospital policy u cannot use ur mobile when in rality the hospital don't mind. They never send refunds out to people who have lost money in vendors and oi know of 6 people who have waited over 12 months and still had nothing back. They somewtimes don't pay the staff!! Their system is falling apart the tvs are all cracked at each corner of the casings. The ergonomic arms are full of design faults. I had the lovely experience of one falling off the wall and just missing a patient. Who got blamed...yep it was me. Premier have little respect for thier staff and even littler for their customers. They afre hanging by a thread and if i can answer any questions for anyone i am more than willing.

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irrelevant

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #497 - Aug 31^st, 2007 at 1:58pm

My wife was in hospital in January (baby!

) and I'm still owed £10 credit back by Patientline... I called them several times but got multiple excuses every time ("sorry, our computer's down, call back later" mainly!)

..and of the credit that was used, about a fiver of it was trying to get internet access, which simply did not work..

I'll certainly never, ever, pay them for anything, again. Should any of us be in hospital again, I've got a GSM modem in the laptop (and completely free WAP calls) . I wonder if I can do VOIP over that ...

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Heinz Supreme Member Offline Posts: 1,362 Essex	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #498 - Aug 31^st, 2007 at 10:21pm THIS should make life a little more difficult for them!
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questa

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #499 - Sep 3^rd, 2007 at 10:46pm

Heinz wrote on Aug 31^st, 2007 at 10:21pm:

THIS should make life a little more difficult for them!

Or not! We already provide an announcement, followed by some rings (to the caller, not the bedside) and then more announcements...

Still not bankrupt! And we also have nice new uniforms

*sticks head back in sand*

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jgxenite Supreme Member Offline Help us to help you - read the instructions!! Posts: 1,454 Gender:	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #500 - Sep 3^rd, 2007 at 10:52pm But is your announcement free or not? My suspicion is not. It probably costs your 49p just to hear the first announcement, then your "rings", and another 49p for your other announcements.
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irrelevant Senior Member Offline Posts: 409	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #501 - Sep 3^rd, 2007 at 11:01pm Yep... we've spent over £1 before the bedside phone even starts ringing!!
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jgxenite Supreme Member Offline Help us to help you - read the instructions!! Posts: 1,454 Gender:	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #502 - Sep 3^rd, 2007 at 11:10pm It wouldn't entirely surprise me if that was the case.
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questa

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #503 - Sep 4^th, 2007 at 7:14am

jgxenite wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2007 at 10:52pm:

But is your announcement free or not? My suspicion is not. It probably costs your 49p just to hear the first announcement, then your "rings", and another 49p for your other announcements.

No the announcement and the 'costume rings' cost you 49p!! You appreciate it more when you have to pay for it you see

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jgxenite Supreme Member Offline Help us to help you - read the instructions!! Posts: 1,454 Gender:	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #504 - Sep 4^th, 2007 at 8:57am My problem now is I can't tell whether you are being sarcastic or you actually believe charging people for "call price announcements" is a good thing?!
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questa Newbie Offline Posts: 25	Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga Reply #505 - Sep 4^th, 2007 at 9:55pm jgxenite wrote on Sep 4^th, 2007 at 8:57am: My problem now is I can't tell whether you are being sarcastic or you actually believe charging people for "call price announcements" is a good thing?! Well its a good thing for me cos they pay my wages
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pw4

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #506 - Sep 5^th, 2007 at 2:35pm

questa wrote on Sep 4^th, 2007 at 9:55pm:

Well its a good thing for me cos they pay my wages

as will the charge for headphones be, or perhaps not judging by the success of the previous brilliant revenue generating initiative of charging 26p per minute for outbound calls. On what date does charging for headphones commence?

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« Last Edit: Sep 5^th, 2007 at 5:49pm by pw4 »

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questa

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #507 - Sep 5^th, 2007 at 10:03pm

pw4 wrote on Sep 5^th, 2007 at 2:35pm:

questa wrote on Sep 4^th, 2007 at 9:55pm:

Well its a good thing for me cos they pay my wages

as will the charge for headphones be, or perhaps not judging by the success of the previous brilliant revenue generating initiative of charging 26p per minute for outbound calls. On what date does charging for headphones commence?

Depends on the site.

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« Last Edit: Sep 5^th, 2007 at 10:03pm by questa »

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mikeinnc

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #508 - Sep 6^th, 2007 at 4:37am

Looks like Patientline directors have been greasing a few more palms......

"Patients' lives at risk from mobile signals"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=4802...

Quote:

The scientists who carried out the tests want hospitals to ban mobiles from wards.

And I wonder how much Patientline paid these so-called anonymous "scientists" to make that observation? It's strange that it is only in Rip Off Britain..... no such problems in the USA or anywhere else, as far as I can tell. How very convenient!

Oh, wait a minute though......the US don't have a corrupt NHS! Grin

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« Last Edit: Sep 6^th, 2007 at 4:38am by mikeinnc »

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jgxenite

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Re: NHS Patientline 49p per minute Ofcom Investiga
Reply #509 - Sep 6^th, 2007 at 9:21am

That article sounds like the biggest amount of crud I have ever heard - they didn't even use mobile phone, just "simulated" them! Why not use real mobile phones and see what the real effects are, not some made up simulated crud?

Someone with a dislike for mobile phones has definitely been palming them to ensure that they get the result they want. Atleast the DoH said that they don't want to ban mobile phones

.

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