NHS England has vowed to tackle the controversial use of 0844 numbers for GP surgeries following repeated calls for the use to be stopped.

Rules were introduced in 2011 which stated that calls to GP surgeries must not exceed the cost of local calls, but it has been confirmed that a number of practices around the UK are still using expensive 0844 numbers.

Local area teams from NHS England have been asked to review PCT documents to check which practices are still using the numbers and NHS England have said they will act upon the findings in due course.

The guidelines were introduced by the Government following complaints from patients who have called their local surgery to make an appointment or to ask for advice and have run up large bills as a result of calling the 0844 number.

A spokesman for NHS England said: ‘We support guidance from the Department of Health that GP practices should not enter into any new contracts for telephone services that would mean patients pay more than the cost of a geographical call to their practice.’

 

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