Rowen Welcomes Ban on Premium Rate NHS Calls

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has welcomed the banning of the use of premium rate phone numbers for people contacting the NHS in England.

The decision followed a public consultation on the issue which was responded to by 3,000 members of the public. 90% of respondents said that calls should be charged at local rates leading to a decision that calls to hospitals or GP surgeries must cost no more than a standard call.

0845 numbers were not included in many phone packages, leading mobile phone users to suffer from extortionate charges.

However the ban will not apply to the cost of making phone calls from hospital beds.

Paul Rowen, MP for Rochdale commented: "I have been pressing the Government on this issue for some time. People should not be penalised for being ill and it's good to hear that a cost of a call to their local GP or hospital will be no more expensive than if they dialled a normal landline. The NHS under its constitution should be free at the point of need and high rate phone numbers contradicted these founding principles. People in Rochdale using mobile phones were being charged outrageous sums, putting many off contacting their GPs and local hospitals even if they were suffering. This situation was unacceptable and has taken a long time and a lot of hard work to be remedied."