NHS to be banned from using premium rate phone numbers

The Department of Health has announced plans to ban the NHS from using expensive phone numbers, which cost patients more to contact NHS services.

Health Minister John Hutton announced that the NHS would be banned from using premium and national rates for healthcare services, such as GPs, from April.

Mr Hutton said that any GP practices currently using the expensive phone lines will be expected to change to low rate numbers, which would charge patients less.

National rate telephone numbers have an '087' prefix, while premium rate telephone numbers start with the digits '09'. The Department of Health said that, under the new measures, the NHS would only be allowed to use freephone numbers or guaranteed low-rate numbers, which begin with '0845' or '0844' numbers.

Around 290 GP practises use national rate lines, which charge up to 7.5p per minute, for arranging patient appointments and dealing with repeat prescription requests.

Mr Hutton said: "Sick people and their families should not be asked to pay over the odds to contact local NHS services. The use of premium and national rate telephone numbers is an unfair additional cost for many NHS patients. That is why we are taking this action today."

The Patients Association has welcomed the new measures. The Chairman of the Association, Michael Summers, said: "Many patients were contacting us as calls were so expensive, particularly when surgeries were busy or engaged. This decision will be welcomed by patients generally."

The ban on premium and national rate phone numbers will be enforced through legislation and guidance to changes, including revised contracts for GPs and directions to NHS Trusts.

While the ban applies to NHS dentists and opticians as well as GP out-of-hours service providers, it is understood that pharmacies will be able to use premium rate lines for commercial purposes.

(KMcA/SP)