Sussex surgeries urged to switch phone numbers

Date: 12/10/2011

New 0300 numbers could be a useful purchase for the many doctors' surgeries in Sussex that still use 084 prefixes.

The Argus reports that many practices utilise these digits, even though the Department of Health stated six months ago that NHS organisations must not use phone numbers that charge more than the local rate.

According to the newspaper, a report shows two surgeries in Brighton and Hove still use these numbers, as well as ten in East Sussex and 23 in West Sussex.

David Hickson, who is campaigning for all health centres to follow the guidance, said: "Some practices claim that patients do not pay more to call their 084 number than to make an equivalent call to a geographic number."

However, those against the old numbers say many people are charged higher amounts, especially when getting in touch using a mobile phone.

This comes just after the Epping Forest Guardian stated three surgeries in the local area are still using 0844 numbers.