NHS Reforms - Government says "PCTs must carry on with their work"!

The government has confirmed that it is the PCTs, under threat of abolition,
who are responsible for ensuring that GPs provide NHS services “free at the point of need”.

This article in a GP journal raises the issue of over 1,000 GP practices shown by NHS Choices to be in direct breach of their NHS contract, by continuing to use expensive telephone numbers past the 1 April deadline for compliance with new regulations. In response, the Department of Health is quoted as confirming -

"It is up to PCTs to ensure that GP practices comply".

THIS LEAGUE TABLE shows how many cases each clustered grouping of PCTs has to address. I have published a geographic version.

Both link to a full listing of all of the surgeries shown by NHS Choices to be still using expensive telephone numbers, after they should have been given up.

I support my claim that ALL ‘084’ NUMBERS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE for NHS Patients to call, with linked information from published telephone tariffs. All may be readily verified.

I comment:

“We need PCTs to ensure that GPs do not breach the principles of the NHS by charging patients through use of expensive telephone numbers. They have much work to do before the NHS can move forward.
The government needs to explain how GPs will be able to do this job themselves when they take over the work of PCTs!

“The NHS will always benefit from improved effectiveness and efficiency.
The principle of access to NHS services ‘FREE AT THE POINT OF NEED’ cannot be compromised.”

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Notes

♦	My full briefing is published here - PCT Clusters to enforce principle of "free at the point of need" before the NHS can move forward
♦	This is a national release. Local and regional briefings could be as follows:
	•	South Yorkshire tops the table for illegal expensive GP telephone calls
	•	149 West Midlands GPs in breach of their contract! - listed
♦	Details of the contractual requirements are given and summarised here
♦	A summary of the basic facts and confusion raised about the cost of telephone calls is provided here
	•	Actual telephone call costs and links to published tariffs are given here
♦	The information as published provides links to the MP covering the area where the surgery is located and to the source information on NHS Choices.