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Simpo Two
Original Poster
33,879 posts
92 months
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'A ban on the use, by GP surgeries and other parts of the NHS, of phone numbers which begin with 084 is being considered, say ministers.' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7783963.stmIt may not cost much, but I greatly resent paying for a monthly call package, then having to pay again. Grr!
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joewilliams
418 posts
28 months
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They're legislating in the wrong place - they should be making the phone companies charge ""Local"" and ""National"" rate numbers at local and national rates, including them in the call plans where appropriate.
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mechsympathy
13,796 posts
82 months
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But GP surgeries aren't part of the NHS;)
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miniman
8,786 posts
89 months
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joewilliams said: They're legislating in the wrong place - they should be making the phone companies charge ""Local"" and ""National"" rate numbers at local and national rates, including them in the call plans where appropriate. Agreed, the issue is though that the lines simply wouldn't exist if they weren't generating revenue - the surgery gets a super dooper phone system for peanuts and the patients pick up the tab. Personally I would rather pay 5p and sit in a queue than pay nothing and have to redial a bazillion times to get through to a grumpy receptionist.
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Shay HTFC
468 posts
16 months
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www.saynoto0870.comOften offers a geographical number if you type in the 0870 number you want to ring.
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moffspeed
249 posts
34 months
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mechsympathy said: But GP surgeries aren't part of the NHS;) Oh really ??
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john_p
4,699 posts
77 months
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Simpo Two said: 'A ban on the use, by GP surgeries and other parts of the NHS, of phone numbers which begin with 084 is being considered, say ministers.' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7783963.stmIt may not cost much, but I greatly resent paying for a monthly call package, then having to pay again. Grr! They'll just switch to 0870 instead...it's even more expensive!
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rich1231
14,464 posts
87 months
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How do you think GP surgeries pay for their phone systems?
They will end up having a single phone line if they have to pay for the infrastructure directly. And the money will be taken from patient care.
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Plotloss
59,135 posts
97 months
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rich1231 said: How do you think GP surgeries pay for their phone systems?
They will end up having a single phone line if they have to pay for the infrastructure directly. And the money will be taken from patient care. Thats what they do here, you have to call at 8.30am on the day you want an appointment and at 8.30 the line is jammed solid. Its like trying to get bloody Glasto tickets.
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miniman
8,786 posts
89 months
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Plotloss said: Its like trying to get bloody Glasto tickets. And with a similar likelihood of catching botulism at the end of it all, too.
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mechsympathy
13,796 posts
82 months
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moffspeed said: mechsympathy said: But GP surgeries aren't part of the NHS;) Oh really ?? Yep. They're independent businesses which subcontract their services to the NHS.
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HUW JONES
582 posts
30 months
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Yep..we're independent contractors.We were offered said schemes by telephone service providers but always declined.Just spent 6K of our own money (ok tax allowable)upgrading our system to achieve similar results without ripping the punters off.Indeed I recall these 0845 numbers are frowned upon by our masters anyway so should be few and far between.
ps I really should be seeing the next patient but I can't face it.
Cheers.
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julian64
7,045 posts
81 months
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Yep, I'm with hugh, we spend about 5K on phones out of our own pockets last year getting qeueing systems and diverting jobbies to various parts of the practice.
I hear a lot about 0845 number in general practice but don't know a single practice that actually uses them. Maybe more mythical than real round our way.
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ultegra
490 posts
33 months
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Reminds me of how my dad used to bang on about my brother and i wasting money calling "those 0800 numbers".
Berk.
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hornetrider
9,015 posts
32 months
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Nice one chaps! Now, go cure some patients you lazy feckers 
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Nick_F
2,922 posts
73 months
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HUW JONES said: Yep..we're independent contractors.We were offered said schemes by telephone service providers but always declined.Just spent 6K of our own money (ok tax allowable)upgrading our system to achieve similar results without ripping the punters off.Indeed I recall these 0845 numbers are frowned upon by our masters anyway so should be few and far between.
ps I really should be seeing the next patient but I can't face it.
Cheers. I thought only vets could refer to their patients as 'it'...
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HUW JONES
582 posts
30 months
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Nick_F said: HUW JONES said: Yep..we're independent contractors.We were offered said schemes by telephone service providers but always declined.Just spent 6K of our own money (ok tax allowable)upgrading our system to achieve similar results without ripping the punters off.Indeed I recall these 0845 numbers are frowned upon by our masters anyway so should be few and far between.
ps I really should be seeing the next patient but I can't face it.
Cheers. I thought only vets could refer to their patients as 'it'... ...apologies to all you sick people out there...I was referring to the "experience"....and yes I will feck off and do something to justify my 100k or is it 200k? pay.
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hornetrider
9,015 posts
32 months
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HUW JONES said: ...apologies to all you sick people out there...I was referring to the "experience"....and yes I will feck off and do something to justify my 100k or is it 200k? pay. If you're anything like me you stop counting when it gets into three figures. But, at least I don't have to interact with the great unwashed on a daily basis. You deserve every penny you get. 
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Busa_Rush
2,536 posts
78 months
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julian64 said: Yep, I'm with hugh, we spend about 5K on phones out of our own pockets last year getting qeueing systems and diverting jobbies to various parts of the practice.
I hear a lot about 0845 number in general practice but don't know a single practice that actually uses them. Maybe more mythical than real round our way. Mine has 0845 . . . so BT charge me the 5p/min rate rather than it being free. Dr receives income from it. Most business have to have a 'phone system, surely Dr's are no different ?
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turbobloke
33,191 posts
87 months
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julian64 said: I hear a lot about 0845 number in general practice but don't know a single practice that actually uses them. Maybe more mythical than real round our way. Mine uses them. Several family members likewise (different locations).
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