Downing Street have issued a non-response to a petition calling on them to prevent GP surgeries from using expensive, revenue-generating 084 and 087 phone numbers.

The government has said that the patient shouldn't be expected to pay more than a local call but companies have traditionally lied/manipulated their way around this using the vague definition of what constitutes a local call charge (something I've discussed previously).

Follow up:

There are 0300 numbers designated for government and/or non-profit use which are charged the same as 01/02 numbers (i.e. taken from inclusive minutes/free calls) but doctors surgeries are jumping on the revenue-sharing bandwagon of premium rate numbers regardless of what it costs the patients.

As a result, where a local call would cost anything from nothing (using inclusive minutes), to 5p a call up to about 6p a minute from a landline. 0844 numbers usually cost 5p landlines but are extortionately expensive (in excess of 20p/minute) to call form mobiles or phone boxes. For 087 numbers you can often double those figures (thankfully my own doctor's surgery still uses an 028 number).

You expect this kind of rip-off from companies but not from the NHS. Free at the point of delivery? Not any more.