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GP surgeries could be banned from using phone numbers beginning with 084 because ringing them is more expensive than local landline numbers. How do you contact your surgery?
Patients said they could not get through to their GPs on standard landlines because the number was constantly engaged.
So an increasing number of GP practices, hospitals and primary care trusts are using 084 numbers to put callers into a queueing system instead.
If you are on a mobile, calling an 084 number can cost up to 40p a minute. Campaigners say that is against a founding principle of the NHS, which should be "free at the point of need."
Are 084 numbers a better solution than busy landlines? Does your surgery use an 084 number? Do you want the 084 numbers to stay? What's your experience of contacting your doctor?
Either that or not get through for hours which do people want?
That's the thing, the great NHS-lovers out there don't really care about quality or availability of the service, but rather about their own (rather stupid) principles.
Originally Posted by Have Your Say
If you are on a mobile, calling an 084 number can cost up to 40p a minute. Campaigners say that is against a founding principle of the NHS, which should be "free at the point of need."
They'll be wanting people to pay their broadband bills to access NHS Direct next.
Why don't they just scrap car park costs, SIFT funding, offer free food in the canteen and cut NI payments...
They could genuinely save a fortune if they cut out all the ridiculous bureaucracy and form filling surrounding SIFT funding!
They could use those savings to remove the hideous private car park wheelclamping morons, who rush to put clamps with an £85 removal fee on cars of owners whose relative has just died in the hospital! A ghastly practice!
As for the canteens - we should be paid to eat the food served in the vast majority!
If you're really concerned about costs just make drunk people who call/come in for treatment pay for its cost, should cut NHS bill in half.
Which would go against the founding principles of the NHS again. Also, who would determine how drunk someone was, and whether they would have to pay? And what happens if a drunk can't pay? Do you turn him away?
Which would go against the founding principles of the NHS again. Also, who would determine how drunk someone was, and whether they would have to pay? And what happens if a drunk can't pay? Do you turn him away?
but its okay to keep people who can't afford 40p a minute away (i.e. poor students with no cash).
Sadly, I don't believe that you seriously can't afford £2.00.
Calls are 5 minutes? The last time I called they told me they'd get back to me after they dealt with their backlog... of drunkards. Trust me, it took more then 5 minutes to be told it would take hours before I could get any help. I had to hike it to the emergency centre.
In the end though, 2 pounds or 20 pounds the theory is all the same. It's against the principal of the NHS (as noted by someone else below).
To your other post, manpower is not cheap 0 even if "pabrinex" is.
Th Jonny, I don't see the point missed. Its bad to keep people away, but currently we keep only one type away. This is bad, we agree this is bad.
Calls are 5 minutes? The last time I called they told me they'd get back to me after they dealt with their backlog... of drunkards. Trust me, it took more then 5 minutes to be told it would take hours before I could get any help. I had to hike it to the emergency centre.
In the end though, 2 pounds or 20 pounds the theory is all the same. It's against the principal of the NHS (as noted by someone else below).
To your other post, manpower is not cheap 0 even if "pabrinex" is.
Th Jonny, I don't see the point missed. Its bad to keep people away, but currently we keep only one type away. This is bad, we agree this is bad.
You were suggesting charging people to use the NHS. I said that this went against the founding principles of the NHS. You then used this argument to say why the current situation was wrong, underlying my point that your situation wasn't any better, it just charged a different group of people.
I think it is a good idea to charge local rate and then have a cisco phone system so people do get in a cue but dont pay lots! however if all the staff HAD to take calls at busy times ie 8am and 2pm then that would make things better. By all staff I mean all receptionists and Practice managers too taking calls insted of filling perscrpitons and doing paper work, 30 mins of answering phones wont kill you. Also before you say it they have till 2pm to get the perscriptions done so 30 mins later to start wont kill them!
You were suggesting charging people to use the NHS. I said that this went against the founding principles of the NHS. You then used this argument to say why the current situation was wrong, underlying my point that your situation wasn't any better, it just charged a different group of people.
Get it now?
Which got us to the point I wanted, that the current situation is bad.
get it now?
Talk about topical issues and give your opinions. Note: Threads in here are started by the Have Your Say bot. Members cannot start threads in here. If you wish to start a discussion in a similar vein to Have Your Say topics, please post your thread in General Discussion
Should the NHS stop using 084 numbers?
