GP call costs need to end

We welcome the initiative by health service managers to look again at the way some GPs are expecting the public to subsidise their telephone systems. As this column has highlighted before, many local practitioners have switched to 084 numbers, which cost callers more than the standard rate. They have made no move to change back, despite growing public concern and Department of Health warnings that patients should not have to pay more than necessary to call their doctor.

Earlier this year we reported that the trust managing Leicester's three big hospitals had decided not to proceed with plans to turn its telephone services over to 084 numbers.

Now we can report that NHS Leicester City, the trust responsible for GP services, is working out how it could replace the numbers, which are used by 16 surgeries serving some 180,000 patients. Because of the contracts that have been signed, it could cost more than £1 million to end the arrangements.

Even though our health service is always seeking additional funding, we believe it would be money well spent to remove this additional burden on the public. We hope NHS Leicester City can acknowledge the problem and put it right.