Now, hospitals are banned from using 084 numbers

HOSPITALS and doctors are to be banned from using 084 premium rate numbers.

It follows 3,000 responses to a public consultation on the use of 084 in the NHS.   The health minister, Mike O'Brien, said:  "We have been concerned that some people are paying more than the cost of a local call rate to contact the NHS.

"It is clear from the feedback that patients support the banning of any number or tariff which is more expensive to call. For people on low incomes, and for those who need to contact their local doctor or hospital regularly, these costs can soon build up."

The Department of Health points out that the use of the premium rate numbers 0870, 0871 and 09, and national charge rates to call local NHS healthcare services, was banned in England in April 2005.

It did not extend to other number ranges as, at the time, they were not considered "premium" rate.  However, it had become clear that there were other numbers which could also be more expensive than conventional landline numbers.

And the department says GPs and other NHS organisations remained free to use 084 numbers - along with the 01, 02 and 03 prefixes - provided callers pay no more than for a local rate number.