[jambutty]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

BBC NEWS | Health | Automated GP calls rile patients

Sorry but i dont agree with that. Why should we pay for their phone system. When i ring the doctors i want to speak to a receptionist. If its engaged i know they are busy and so will ring back later why stay on the line and listen to music i can turn the radio on or put a cd on if i want to listen to music.

Yet another example of some people getting their snouts deeper in the trough.

Who allowed this to happen? No prizes for guessing.
Quote: “The government is allowing GPs to use 0844 numbers.”

Remember that when the next general election comes along.

Which group of people are most likely to ring their doctor? Er! Let me see! The sick, the old, the disabled, who just happen to be the least well off as well, with exceptions.

Who is most likely to profit from this scheme? Well the doctor for a start but also the phone companies who do not get paid for a call that is not connected, i.e engaged. They will with this system.

What about multi surgery practices? One or two receptionist’s jobs could be on the line. Less expense for the doctors = more in their pockets.

At least the Department of Health is on the side of the poor ripped off citizen. Quote: “But the Department of Health said patients should not be charged more than the cost of a local call to contact their doctor.”
What about all doctors’ surgery numbers being 0500 or 0800 numbers instead?

Maybe the answer would be that we all have a premium number that grabs some of the cost of the phone call for ourselves. It would cut down on unsolicited phone calls if the caller were actually giving us some money for receiving the call.

It’s all very well having a moan in this forum but my letter to my MP vociferously objecting to this arrangement and demanding that the government reverse their decision will be delivered tomorrow.