Choose and Book switches phone number

A spokesperson for NHS Direct, which runs the Choose and Book telephone service, said that the change from an 0845 number to the new 0345 number was made on 13 August 2010. "The reason is because it was behind the rest of the NHS, after September 2009 when the use of premiums phone numbers in the NHS were banned," she told SmartHealthcare.com . However, she said that the ruling did not apply to NHS Direct, which continues to operate an 0845 number, because of the forthcoming switch to the 111 number which will provide a single point of access for all urgent care services. "The department did not think it would be appropriate to change the number and then change it again," she said. The Department of Health launched the pilots for 111 in County Durham and Darlington in mid August, with further pilots planned for Nottingham, Lincolnshire and Luton. A date has yet to be set for full implementation. Campaigners against expensive telephone numbers to access public services, said the change to the Choose and Book service is a modest but significant victory. Callers pay a premium to use 0845 numbers, except when they benefit from the exceptional low rates (or free calls) offered on BT landlines. For an average nine minute call to NHS Direct callers typically pay a premium of £1.01 from a Virgin Media landline, £1.60 from a payphone or £2.25 from a pay as you go mobile. Only 23% of telephone calls are made through BT, 28% of socio-economic group DE households do not have a landline, campaigners said. They are calling for NHS Direct to switch other 0845 numbers and for other NHS organisations and services providers to follow suit.