We have Telewest at home. If I had opted for one of their prepay options (I have
not, but many users have done so in this area) then I could ring any local or
national number for no cost. Calls to 0844 & 0845 numbers are not included in
this, and are charged at the full rate. 

I have a mobile phone contract (Vodafone) which gives me a certain number of
minutes of free calls to any local, national, or mobile phone number. Again,
0845/0844 numbers are excluded, and I have to pay full price for calls.

Laurie Miles

> -----Original Message-----
> From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Salter
> Sent: 23 January 2007 3:09 pm
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [GP-UK] 0844 numbers for surgeries
> 
> Hello Laurie and GP-UK,
> 
> On Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 10:23:24 AM, Dr wrote:
> 
> > This is incorrect, the cost is most definitely NOT the same. Many people
> have
> > all inclusive packages on their mobile phones or home phones, where for a
> flat
> > monthly fee all calls are included (or a certain amount of calls are pre-
> paid).
> > For these 0844/0845 numbers, these packages do not apply and the user has to
> pay
> > the full cost of the call.
> 
> http://www.downloads.bt.com/pricing/SpecialisedNos.pdf
> 
> The above includes pricing of 0844 and 0845 calls from BT Residential
> Lines.
> 
> 0845 numbers are charged at "Local NTS" rate. Using Daytime rate as an
> example the standard rate is 3.36p per minute (all examples exclude
> VAT). However, most BT customers will probably be on one of the BT
> Together options in which case the rate is 2.55p per minute. The
> called number pays 3.48p per minute plus a monthly rental of 10 GBP.
> For heavy users of NHS Direct, 0845 numbers are eligible for Friends &
> Family discounts (excluding the Auto Update option which automatically
> selects the 5 highest call cost numbers for the billing period; the
> 'non-auto update' standard option allows 10 customer selected
> numbers). Although 0845 numbers do not qualify for any of the BT
> Together major discounts (e.g. BT Together Option 1 10p for one hour
> call at evenings and week-ends) they are discounted to the caller in
> the sense they are 'national' numbers charged at local call rates.
> 
> 0844 numbers are charged at varying rates depending on the two or
> three digits following the 0844. They fall into two major categories,
> Internet Metered/Un-Metered Services and Special Services, the latter
> covering "Calls not including Internet Services", and "Calls to Fixed
> Fee Numbers" but in each category there is a range of differing rates.
> 
> As far as GP practices are concerned, assuming the majority of
> patients will be calling from within the local exchange area, I
> personally don't see any reason for 0845 numbers and certainly not
> 0844 numbers. NHS Direct is a slightly different case. For example, a
> BT Residential Customer on the Basic BT Together Option 1 would pay
> less calling an 0845 number during the day but would pay considerably
> less calling an 01/02 number evenings and week-ends. If NHS direct
> also has/had an 01/02 alternative number, where there is a price
> advantage for the caller there would also be a cost saving for the NHS
> i.e. they wouldn't be footing the 3.48p per minute for the 0845 call.
> 
> Please note that all the above is my personal interpretation of
> various BT documents and therefore may contain errors.
> 
> For costs of providing and running 08XX/09XX numbers see
> http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/linesandcalls/telemarketing/overview
> 
> Chris
> 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emile de Sousa
> >> Sent: 22 January 2007 8:18 pm
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >> Subject: Re: [GP-UK] 0844 numbers for surgeries
> >>
> >> and, to all those
> >> Luddites who object, I'd like to say that the cost to the patient is the
> >> same as the BT cost. BUT I also gather that within a few months Ofcom is
> >> going to insist that all organisations using 0844, 0845 and 0870 number
> must
> >> list a geographical number as al alternative.
> >>
> >> We shall see
> >>



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