Kelvedon Surgery 'switching from 0844 number'

Date: 15/06/2011

Doctors' surgeries up and down the UK may want to consider switching to 03 numbers when they hear of one practice in Colchester.

Three years ago, Kelvedon Surgery changed its contact number to a series of digits beginning with 0844, the Braintree and Witham Times reports.

These revenue share numbers mean the cost per minute is paid to the company or organisation the customer is calling.

As a result, Kelvedon Parish Council has suggested the surgery is profiting from its patients and, therefore, the practice has decided to change the number.

Manager of the centre Barbara Lord said: "We are in the process of changing the phone number. We are well aware of the rules and regulations, so is the primary care trust."

Earlier this year, new regulations came into force meaning surgeries are no longer permitted to use phone numbers that patients have to pay premium rates to contact.

Discussing the matter on his NHS Patient Blog, David Hickson noted that switching to 03 numbers is a simple process.