Another eight* GP surgeries will change their phone numbers to local geographical rate numbers from next Monday (23 July) in the latest round of changes to telephone systems which will ensure that calls from both landlines and mobiles are charged at a standard rate.
Last month 14** practices plus five branch surgeries switched to new numbers. Four*** further practices will change in August.
Of Rotherham’s 36 GP practices 23 have been using 084 numbers for some time, the other 13 have always had local geographical numbers. Of the 23, 21 will have reverted back to 01709 or 0114 numbers by the end of August. The remaining two will not be changing in the near future, due to contract commitments with their current providers.
Patients dialing the redundant 084 number will hear a recorded message that will give them the new number for their surgery.
Andrew Clayton, Head of IT, at NHS Rotherham said: “We have listened to patients and our local MPs about the increased costs imposed on patients calling their GP practice from mobile phones and have worked with the practices to revert back to local numbers where possible. We realise that the majority of people use mobile phones as their main form of communication and wanted to ensure that our patients are paying the minimum amount for contacting their GP.”
The 084 numbers are charged at a local rate when called from a BT landline but callers using mobile telephones often pay higher rates. The new local numbers will ensure calls are charged at a local rate regardless of whether callers are calling from a landline or a mobile.
NHS Rotherham has been working with GP practices across the borough to change and adapt current telephone systems to enable local geographic numbers to be offered.
Details of the practices concerned and their new numbers have also been published here: http://www.rotherham.nhs.uk/services/new-gp-telephone-numbers.htm
Ends
*The six practices and two branch surgeries changing their telephone numbers on 23 July are:
Clifton Medical Centre - Wickersley branch surgery only 01709 544000
Dalton Health Centre (Dr Iqbal) 01709 854586
High Street Surgery, Rawmarsh 01709 522022
Thorpe Hesley Clinic (High Street branch surgery) 0114 245 4504
Morthen Road Group Practice, Wickersley 01709 543632
Morthern Road Group Practice (Ravenfield branch surgery) 01709 532340
Morthern Road Group Practice (Braithwell branch surgery) 01709 819716
Queen’s Medical Centre, Maltby 01709 817902
** The 14 practices plus five branch surgeries that changed on 18 June and their new numbers are:
St Anns Medical Centre 01709 375500
Badsley Moor Lane 01709 375500
Broom Valley Road Surgery 01709 365244
Canklow Road Surgery 01709 361486
Kilnhurst Surgery 01709 582522
Dalton Health Centre (Dr Ahmed) 01709 851414
Greenside Surgery 01709 560887
Parkgate Medical Centre 01709 514501
Thorogate Surgery 01709 529875
Stag Medical Centre 01709 364990
Rose Court Medical Centre 01709 541982
Shakespeare Road Surgery 01709 830730
Surgery of Light 01709 835837
Thorpe Hesley Surgery (Dr Page) 0114 257 0585
Bellows Road Surgery 01709 528553
Thrybergh Medical Centre 01709 853873
Village Surgery 01709 542725
Wickersley Health Centre (Dr Reddy) 01709 543177
York Road Surgery 01709 836290
*** The four practices changing their telephone number by the end of August are:
Broom Lane Medical Centre, Rotherham
Bellows Road Surgery (Thorpe Hesley branch)
Dr Shrivastava, Maltby Services Centre
Manor Field Surgery, Maltby
Clifton Lane Surgery at Doncaster Health Village, Rotherham and Woodstock Bower Group Practice are not changing their telephone numbers at the present time.
Ref: NHSR12-P29
Last reviewed: 17/07/2012
