Local MP Questions Call Charges For Oxfordshire Patients
16 May 2007
North Oxfordshire MP, Tony Baldry, has approached Health Minister, Rosie Winterton MP, following concerns raised by the Oxfordshire PCT Patient and Public Involvement Forum over the use of 0844 telephone numbers by GP surgeries and health centres.
The Government said two years ago that 0844 numbers would replace premium and national rate numbers to ensure patients did not experience expensive phone bills booking appointments - however, it appears that confusion over the rate charged for 0844 numbers by some operators may mean patients are paying more than under the previous scheme.
Tony Baldry has also raised concerns over the delays by the Department of Health in helping GP surgeries get the new numbers, and the £500 to offset costs to surgeries.
In a letter copied to Tony Baldry the Oxfordshire Patient Forum said:
"The use of these high cost phone numbers for patients to contact their surgery or health centre not only places an unfair financial burden on those least able to bear it, but is discriminatory in placing an unfair financial burden on people with the greatest number of health needs. People such as old age pensioners, chronically sick and disabled others and any persons on low incomes are most disadvantaged by enforced use of these numbers."
Tony Baldry MP said:
"It would clearly be unacceptable if that were the case. It is the Government's responsibility to ensure that this change is enacted, and if it hasn't happened then the Department is failing patients. However, I think the problem may be unintentional but no less damaging for patients pockets – I understand that 0844 numbers can be charged at different rates. So whilst from a BT landline it costs 5p a minute, if a patient is using another operator or a mobile the charge can be as much as 35p a minute. This is clearly far in excess of the call charges which were rightly considered too high by the Department and that the 0844 number was meant to replace. I don’t think this is the fault of the GPs, health centre and PCT – in contrast I think this demonstrates the Government's confusion over the cost of 0844 numbers to patients, delays in delivering the £500 to some surgeries, and delays in setting up 0844 numbers for surgeries."
