Why the Outcome of Department of Health’s Consultation in September Could Boost 03 Numbers in the NHS
September 30, 2009 by Hanna08
In September 2009 it is expected that the Department of Health will announce the results of its consultation into the use of 084 numbers in the NHS. The consultation ran between December 2008 and March 2009 and asked members of the public and key stakeholders whether the use of 084 numbers (e.g. 0844 numbers) should be prohibited for all NHS services. The primary concern being the cost for patients to call these services – particularly from a mobile phone.
Many GP practices, pharmacies, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and opticians currently use 084 numbers as they offer them improved call features like caller queuing and options for patients to ensure they get through to the right department (e.g. press 1 for appointments, press 2 to speak to a nurse etc.) Should the outcome mean that the 084 numbers in the NHS are banned, the natural alternative (and the one that is advocated by the Department of Health) are 0300 numbers.
0300 numbers are exclusively for the public sector and offer exactly the same benefits as 084 numbers. The crucial difference however, is the cost to call them; 0300 numbers cost the same to call as regular landlines – even from a mobile phone. This is important when 44.5% of all UK calls are now made from mobile phones (Ofcom 2009). It’s for these reasons that 0300 numbers are already being used by many NHS organisations including the National Blood Service, Wiltshire Medical Services, South Staffordshire PCT and NHS Change4Life.
Here are 5 more reasons why 0300 numbers are ideal for NHS services:
1. They meet the needs of the public as they cost the same to call as 01/02 numbers – even from a mobile. 0300 numbers are also included in the free minutes offered by mobile and landline networks.
2. The public trust 0300 numbers as they are exclusively for public sector organisations.
3. Organisations can welcome their callers with introduction messages and recorded announcements which can be changed as and when required. For example, during a public health threat (e.g. swine flu) a doctors surgery can ensure that patients hear a pre-recorded message about the symptoms of swine flu when they call, in order for the pressure to be taken off their resources.
4. Callers can be queued during busy periods meaning that all important calls will be answered.
5. It’s possible to record calls to 0300 numbers.
The outcome of the public consultation will be interesting and for NHS organisations that rely on the functions of their telephone numbers, then 0300 numbers will provide a viable alternative if they should choose to rule out 084 numbers in the NHS.
Go to google, and search for "how cell phones work" Click on the first link.
It's a pretty long article, and it won't REALLY tell you how they work, but after you've read and understood it all, then at least you'll know what questions to ask next if you want to know more.
i.e. any medical field would have to follow with a pre-med major, such as biology. Towards upper division, you start taking classes that emphasize a certain pathway, i.e. chemistry. Start applying for medical school as you get close to end of your studies, i.e. pharmaceutical school for a pharmacist. After getting licensed to become a pharmacist from pharmaceutical school, you can start applying for the work force. Simple plan. BTW, each university will have different requirements for a B.S. at their university, look for a catalog to help plan stuff out; however, the core of all natural sceince classes still remain as General Chem, General Physics, General Reading and Writing, Intro to Calc 1&2, and 1 Intro to Biology class.
As for a foreign exchange student, there's usually International Student programs at all public schools. They can help with expenses such as books. You just need to go sign up with them, let them know you're not from around here. It's not that hard, and they're usually nice about it.
Hall,
Don't blame Obama? That's right, I forgot, we are all supposed to blame Bush for the world's ills while Obama's policies are sinking us further and further into a hole domestically and internationally. You, know, perhaps you should “keep up” and realize that Bush is no longer in office.
From all of the research I've found, the Bush DOJ succeeded in getting personal records based on “probable cause”, not “reasonable cause”. There is a big difference. In addition, the Bush Administration was using law enforcement in tracking potential criminal/terrorist activity. They were not seeking to eliminate privacy laws for everyday, innocent Americans.
The Obama administration is arguing FOR “reasonable cause” and against privacy rights for American citizens, not just criminals. Hmmm…why could that be?
Perhaps the same Obama administration who disclosed a domestic terrorist watch list including innocent Americans would love to have court approval to spy on the whereabouts of those who disagree with their policies. Or perhaps, they simply wish to stifle groups for which they disagree. Regardless, as written in Philly.com, “No one wants to feel as if a government agent is following her wherever she goes – be it a friend's house, a place of worship, or a therapist's office – and innocent Americans shouldn't have to feel that way.”
Obviously this is from an old case where the lower courts ruled in favor of cell phone privacy. However, it IS THE OBAMA administration DOJ that is appealing on the grounds that law enforcement/government should be able to access cell phone records, and therefore location data, on the grounds of “reasonable” cause. In addition, according to a Philly.com op ed and the Wall Street Journal, the government has argued that “one who does not wish to disclose his movements to the government need not use a cellular telephone.”
Since the vast majority of adults and teens in this country use cell phones, that is quite some language coming from the US government. It is clear that Holder's DOJ believes that the government's right to track your every move is greater than the right to privately carry a cell phone and use it. Gee, isn't Leftist thinking great?
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England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all countries
England + Scotland + Wales = Great Britain
Great Britain + Northern Ireland = United Kingdom
Republic of Ireland (Eire) occupies the southern part of Ireland and is not part of UK. However the islands that make up Great Britain and Ireland are called The British Isles.
Citizens of UK can call themselves English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish but it is also correct to call them British.
No one made US to be a world policeman. They are self proclaimed world police force. They made totalitarian police state out of their own country and now they want to impose their own will and their "culture" all over the world.
Well, I can at least point you in the right direction. The phone is the Panasonic G70, and has a clamshell shape, with a mirror when the backlight is off. The front has a red or blue faceplate with analog or digital clock display. One odd feature: enter your birthdate into the "Biorhythm finder" software to predict your mood swings for the day. Snap-on carry case. No speaker phone, no camera, no Bluetooth, short battery life.
As for finding this novelty phone, good luck. Since the accessories were designed to work with multiple phones, they are easily found online, particularly eBay and cellphone specialty stores. But after I've searched around online for a while, the phone itself seems elusive.
But these examples – SDSS and HapMap – are these cases where there has been input from anyone? Looking at briefly looks as though the project was a large-scale collaboration, where the data were open, rather than something where anyone could help (as for the Polymath project). i.e. HapMap participants were already decided before the project started?
#NOW Una #O’Brien, Permanent Secretary, Department of #Health live