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Surgeries charge more for calling (Read 183,004 times)
idb
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Surgeries charge more for calling
Jun 19th, 2007 at 3:09pm
 
http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.1477393.0.surgeries_charge_more_for_call...

<<
SOME doctors' surgeries in Bournemouth and Poole have introduced higher call charges and even earn money from patients booking appointments, the Echo has learned.

It is a double whammy following April's news of a 160 per cent price hike in calls from bedside phones in hospitals in Bournemouth and Poole. Service provider Patientline is raising charges from 10 pence per minute to 26p.

And now patients calling their GPs are paying more.

At least eight practices have abandoned their local numbers and now use numbers with an 0844 code.

So rather than paying 3p peak time and 1p off peak, callers will now pay at flat fee of 5p per minute from anywhere in the UK. Practices also get a rebate of up to 1.5p per minute on incoming calls.

Canford Heath Group was the latest to introduce such a number last Friday, but senior partner Anthony Howe said it was a vital upgrade to handle the volume of callers at peak times.

He said: "Many practices have decided to put in a more modern system to answer criticism from patients that they can never get through to doctors' surgeries because lines are engaged, particularly first thing in the morning."

The new system directs patients to all services and departments and holds them in a queue when lines are engaged.

Dr Howe added: "Hopefully 5p per minute is not going to break the bank (not for the good doctor it won't), and if it means patients can get through without the issue of a litany of engaged tones, then I think that is an improvement."

[...]


Member [Patient Public Involvement forums] Barbara Plumbridge said she had heard of a patient who rang their surgery and was told they were 20th in the queue.

She said: "If GP surgeries are making a profit out of these phone numbers, then their patients should be told."

She added: "The PPI Forum is an independent, voluntary group and if we can gather more information about this issue, we will act upon it, so please call us with your comments on 0845 4500 418." (pot/kettle etc!!!!)

[...]
>>
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Heinz
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #1 - Jun 19th, 2007 at 3:17pm
 
Why on earth they cannot just issue their 01202 43 22 88 number instead, I don't understand.

http://poole.gov.uk/familysupportdirectory/dispservice.asp?Service_id=1500&title...

Or is that an organisation which 'shares' the 0845 number?
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« Last Edit: Jun 19th, 2007 at 3:18pm by Heinz »  

After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015
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Dave
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #2 - Jun 19th, 2007 at 4:26pm
 
idb wrote on Jun 19th, 2007 at 3:09pm:
She added: "The PPI Forum is an independent, voluntary group and if we can gather more information about this issue, we will act upon it, so please call us with your comments on 0845 4500 418." (pot/kettle etc!!!!)

I Googled this 0845 number and it leads to a charity called Help & Care, based in Bournemouth. These people are either stupid or liars as they claim that 0845 is free!

Perhaps they pay their telephone provider and therefore think it is free......... What hope is there for fair telecoms when people are this naive?

And these people are in charge.
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« Last Edit: Jun 19th, 2007 at 4:47pm by Dave »  
 
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mikeinnc
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #3 - Jun 19th, 2007 at 10:28pm
 
Their website has a box that says:

"Telephone us free on 0845 4500 418 to see how we can help you"

I suppose we had better give them the benefit of the doubt and just assume they are totally stupid!!

Someone needs to email / write to their Chief Executive, Mark Sharman and point out the error of their ways. He has a pretty impressive sort of CV....but then so did Pinocchio  Wink
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Heinz
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #4 - Jun 20th, 2007 at 10:45am
 
mikeinnc wrote on Jun 19th, 2007 at 10:28pm:
Someone needs to email / write to their Chief Executive, Mark Sharman and point out the error of their ways.

Mark Sharman's e-mail appears to be mark.sharman@helpandcare.org.uk - mine didn't bounce when sent to that address.

UPDATE 12:54 - they actually read e-mails!


The offending 'FREE' part has been removed and now reads like THIS (which, while no longer alleging calls will be free, now includes incorrect information about the cost).

No attempt to justify the use of the 0845 number though - just some blurb about '.... we have been advised that local calls cost up to 3½p/minute'
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« Last Edit: Jun 20th, 2007 at 1:06pm by Heinz »  

After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015
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Golf_Paul
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #5 - Jun 20th, 2007 at 12:59pm
 
I emailed yesterday about the "0845 Free" lie, and they have now changed it .....


Thank you very much for bringing this error to our attention – we are always very concerned that the information on our website is accurate.  This has now been corrected, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.  


Thanks again

Kind regards

Tiffany Kenyon

Communications Officer

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Dave
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #6 - Jun 22nd, 2007 at 12:12am
 
This news story has been posted on the Help & Care website:
Quote:
Our 0845 Number

We are grateful to members of the public who have pointed out to us that we were misleading people by suggesting that our 0845 number was free. We apologise for this genuine error.

Help and Care is a charity that has strong values and we are dedicated to supporting people in all walks of life. Calls to our Information Gateway number 0845 4500 418 cost 4p per minute from anywhere in the country. We do not make a profit from this number. We did not intend to mislead the public, this error was an oversight that has occurred during the creation of our new website.

We hope that people will continue to offer their feedback as we value the views of our website visitors. That way we can be sure that it is helping people in the best way possible.

Whilst I accept that it was a genuine mistake, the above text talks of the 0845 number costing the same from anywhere in the country. As well as being cheaper than 0845 for most people, that is the same for the proper 01202 number as distance is not a factor these days!
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« Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2008 at 9:07am by Dave »  
 
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Cruz
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helpandcare.org.uk's 0845 number
Reply #7 - Jun 22nd, 2007 at 10:57am
 
OTOH, for those using BT Together Option 1, the 0845 number will be cheaper to call than an 01 number between 6am to 6pm weekdays after 1/8/07 (6p connection + 2p/minute as opposed to 6p connection + 3¼p/minute).
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« Last Edit: Jun 22nd, 2007 at 10:58am by Cruz »  
 
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derrick
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Re: helpandcare.org.uk's 0845 number
Reply #8 - Jun 22nd, 2007 at 2:29pm
 
Only if anyone is daft enough to use BT and not one of the override Nos like 1899,18185,18866,etc for 01/02 calls weekdays, i.e a 1 minute call on BT daytime 01/02 will cost 9.25 pence, whereas a call to 01/02 using 1899 will cost 5p regardless of duration of call, obviously the above is via a BT line or CPS allowing override Nos.
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« Last Edit: Oct 9th, 2007 at 6:21pm by DaveM »  
 
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Tanllan
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #9 - Jun 22nd, 2007 at 5:51pm
 
Surely people now only take BT Option 1 to enable use of 1899 etc?
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bill
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #10 - Jun 22nd, 2007 at 8:11pm
 
The savvy perhaps, but not the millions of pensioners.
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« Last Edit: Oct 9th, 2007 at 6:21pm by DaveM »  
 
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #11 - Aug 2nd, 2007 at 8:26am
 
I would like to hear from anyone who has complained to their doctor or their Primary Care Trust (PCT) about 0844/0845 numbers used by their surgery.   What was the response?   Has anyone pursued another authority about this issue, in particular have you written to your MP?
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Campaignagainstripofftelecoms  
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longusername
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #12 - Aug 2nd, 2007 at 10:57am
 
Clearly our public representatives have failed in their duty to promote the common good and have instead rendered the public hostage to unaccountable private interests. I took a look at the numbers being used by hospitals and doctors in the US and found that local calls are standard.

I just picked a hospital at random from US to see how much it costs to call patients there. I chose Alta Bates, a large hospital in Oakland, of California's East Bay. Incidentally, this is the same East Bay from which eBay originates. Note that 510 is the local area code for Berkeley and Oakland. From their website:

Quote:
How to Call A Patient
Use the hospital numbers below to call the appropriate Campus in Oakland or Berkeley. Ask for the patient by first and last name, or by room number.

Alta Bates Campus
2450 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 204-4444 View Map

Herrick Campus
2001 Dwight Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 204-4444 View Map

Summit Campus
Merritt Pavilion: 350 Hawthorne Avenue
Providence Pavilion: 3100 Summit Street
Peralta Pavilion: 450 30th Street
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 655-4000 View Map

http://www.altabatessummit.org/


All this information is posted on the main page of the site, that is to say, the very first page you get when you go to their web address. Perhaps Alta Bates simply recognize that these numbers are one of the main reasons that visitors come to their site and simply give them the information they are looking for. How strikingly different this is from the British experience.

It only remains to wonder how these organisations can survive the crushing expense of these phone networks. Do they suffer from endless engaged tones? Perhaps we should call them and ask. I seriously doubt it. On the other hand, since it only costs them a few pence a minute, maybe the hospitals just decided to swallow the cost and not gripe about it.

Now take a look at this list of names, addresses and phone numbers of doctors in Berkeley, California. It's 510 numbers all the way down, without exception.

http://local.sanfrancisco.com/Berkeley/Doctors.zq.html

This trivial exercise can be repeated by anyone for anywhere in the US. There are a few exceptions.  For example, Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago uses an 888 number. Is that a premium rate number? No--it's classed as "domestic toll-free".
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Tanllan
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #13 - Aug 2nd, 2007 at 11:31am
 
I could not resist taking the following from their excellent website:
"Television
We offer free TV for our patients. We ask that you keep the volume at a moderate level, and if you share a room, turn it off by 10:00 pm.

Mail
Mail, as well as any gifts from family and friends, may be sent to your room. Ask your nurse for the correct address. Please request that the sender include your full name under which you are registered and your room number when addressing letters or packages.

Telephones
Telephones are located in every room except for the critical care unit. You may make as many local calls as you wish for free; however all long distance calls must be charged to your home telephone or to a credit card.

You may receive calls in your room between 7:00 am - 9:00 pm. If you do not wish to be disturbed, ask your nurse to switch off your phone. When you wish to make a telephone call, simply dial "9" and then the number. For calls within the facility, dial the appropriate extension or room number."
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loddon
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Re: Surgeries charge more for calling
Reply #14 - Aug 8th, 2007 at 6:34am
 
The Times today carries this brief story : ---

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2218148.ece

"The Patients Association has meanwhile voiced concern that a retired Leeds couple were removed from a GP list of patients after complaining about the increased cost for booking appointments when their surgery switched to an “0844” number."

How many more patients have attempted to complain about their doctor's switch to 0844 and then been treated like this?   This is a prime example of the breakdown in the doctor/patient relationship which is being caused by 0844 nyumbers.

By using 0844 doctors are, in effect, charging patients a "booking fee" for trying to make an appontment in contravention of a fundamental principle of the NHS --- that the NHS will be free at the point of use.

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Campaignagainstripofftelecoms  
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