WELSH ASSEMBLY CLAMPS DOWN ON PREMIUM RATE GPS NUMBERS

The number of GPs surgeries in Neath using premium rate phone lines will soon decrease said Gwenda Thomas, AM for Neath.
Until this year some GPs surgeries were still able to take out contracts for premium rate ‘084’ phone lines that charged substantially above the national landline rate.
Mrs Thomas said: "Many people assume, quite reasonably, that a call to their GP will be, if not free, at least charged at the normal landline price. It’s only when they receive the phone bill that they realise they’ve been charged over the odds. Clearly this is not an insignificant issue, especially for those on a restricted income."
Following recent changes to the regulations, instigated by Edwina Hart, Minister for Health in the Welsh Government, GPs surgeries are barred from entering into or extending contracts for phone services that charge more than the cost of a local call.
Mrs Thomas said: "I'm happy to reassure my constituents that although some surgeries are still contractually committed to providers of ‘084’ numbers we’ll see more and more switch to local rate phone lines as these contracts come up for renewal over the course of the year."
If GPs practices have not switched from ‘084’ numbers by 1st April 2011 the regulations will oblige them to consider introducing a ‘ring back’ system where patients can request the practice call them back at its own expense.