Two NHS bodies drop 084 numbers

The Summary Care Record Information Line and an NHS hospital have become the latest NHS organisations to drop their premium rate 084 telephone numbers.

The SCR Information Line has switched to an 030 number, which costs no more than calls to geographic numbers, with immediate effect.

Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that it will switch back to an 01 number from the end of this week.

The moves follow the decision by the Department of Health to ban use of premium rate numbers in the NHS after a public consultation on the issue generated more than 3,000 responses.

It is unclear how many NHS organisations have dropped their 084 numbers since the DH ban.

Campaigner David Hickson claims only a “handful” of the estimated 800-1,000 GP practices have done so and that more than 100 other NHS organisations continue to use an 084 number.

Graham Ramsay, chief executive of Mid Essex Hospitals, said the move back to a local code (01245) from 4 December would bring the hospital into line with national strategy.

He added: “We recognise that using 0844 numbers has caused problems for some members of the public and our patients, so I am pleased that we have made this decision. It will make contacting the hospital easier and cheaper for everyone involved.”

“We have already contacted those members of the public who wrote to us with concerns about the 0844 numbers in the past so this demonstrates that we do listen and act upon the feedback that we receive.”

In a briefing to NHS staff, the SCR programme said the switch to an 030 number was a positive step that followed the government’s decision to move away from using premium phone numbers in the NHS.

The SCR Information Line has so far taken more than 100,000 calls from patients. The SCR programme said the old 0845 number would continue to run in parallel with the new 0300 123 3020 number for the immediate future, but all new national publications would feature the 0300 number.

Hickson welcomed the two switches. He told EHI Primary Care: “My message to the NHS would be: 'well done, but what about the rest of you?'

“To my knowledge not one PCT is demanding that NHS GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacists or ophthalmologists give up their 084 telephone numbers.”

Guidance issued by the BMA’s GP committee in January advised GPs practices that they could continue to use 084 numbers so long as their provider advised that the cost of the call was no more expensive than an equivalent local call.