EXTORTIONATE PHONE RATES AT HSE CARE HOMES
Premium lines mean loved ones shell out multiples of average call
PATIENTS’ relatives are being hit with huge phone bills when they need to call hospitals or homes caring for their loved ones.
The HSE has come under fire for using the 076 prefix on some of its service numbers – which are charged at higher rates by phone networks.
One man trying to console a very ill relative discovered that calls he made to a hospital with the 076 prefix added an extra €45 a month to his bill.
The higher-premium number is also used by care homes and hospitals treating critically ill patients who would not be able to take a call on their own mobile phones, for example. For relatives forced to call the hospitals to check in on these
vulnerable loved ones, the 076 rate is still being applied.
076 numbers were introduced by the Government at supposedly cheaper alternatives to 1800 premium lines for people wanting to access State services. However, they were never integrated by Ireland’s major phone companies in the various bundles they offer – leaving customers with huge extra premiums.
The Irish Daily Mail has discovered that relatives and friends of patients are being hit with bills of 30c to 35c per minute for vitally important mobile calls. However, if normal landline numbers were used by the HSE it would be far cheaper for callers.
The HSE, which had a budget of €14.5billion this year, introduced the 076 numbers as a costsaving exercise for both callers and hospitals, it said last night.
But plumber Paul Bathe yesterday hit out at the current set-up, calling it ‘a disgrace’ after discovering every 30-minute call to a relative suffering a serious illness was costing him almost €10.
Mr Bathe, from Bettystown, Co. Meath, noticed his phone bills were much higher after calling his relative, an inpatient of Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfermot, Dublin.
The Irish Daily Mail has discovered that relatives of sick people in other HSE services, such as Blessington Primary Care Centre in Co. Wicklow and Leixlip Health Centre in Co. Kildare, are also paying similarly high rates.
Mr Bathe said he was outraged to find out that by calling a patient to offer support, he was being charged more than would be the case for average calls.
‘It came up that I owed €45 over what I normally pay and I was wondering, “how did this happen?”’ he said. ‘It’s a disgrace. I still can’t get over it. The person I was phoning and was concerned about was seriously ill, so you’re phoning nearly every day to see if he’s OK,’ he said.
‘It’s not right… like many other people, I just phone out of concern for the person that’s in there. I was shocked. It’s disgraceful. Anyone who phones is being taken advantage of.’
In a statement given to the Mail, the HSE said it accepted that people calling Cherry Orchard Hospital using the 076 number experienced unplanned higher-rate costs. It added that due to concerns about higher costs, it reinstated a landline number at the hospital. However, the 076 number was still listed on its website for Cherry Orchard and several other hospitals this week. When the Mail pointed out on Thursday that the HSE’s website still listed the 076 number for Cherry Orchard, a spokesperson said it had now been removed. But last night the HSE website still listed an 076 number for Cherry Orchard Hospital.
‘It’s important to note that the HSE does not receive any gratuity from customers using the 076 numbers,’ the HSE said in a statement. ‘They [were] originally introduced and used by the HSE as a cost-reducing measure. They allowed the HSE to reduce the rental costs on old phone lines and allow calls between HSE sites to be free of charge. We no longer purchase 076 numbers and we haven’t purchased them since some mobile phone providers decided not to include them in certain bundle plans,’ it said.
While 076 numbers are cheaper than 1890 and 1850 premium numbers, most network providers still do not include them in their price bundles.
For customers with Eir, the cost of calling an 076 number depends on whether a customer is calling from an Eir landline or mobile, and it also depends on their plan. The standard Eir rate from a landline to an 076 number jumps to 9c per minute during the day and 3c in the evening.
The rate is 30c per minute for Eir mobile customers.
076 numbers have a chequered history. As far back as 2010, the UK’s premium phone number regulator warned people not to call back a ‘missed call’ from a 076 number as it was likely a scam to get people to rack up expensive phone bills.
Because of their extra costs, many phone companies have refused to add 076 numbers to customers’ monthly all-in plans, leaving customers who have to telephone hospitals regularly lumbered with big bills.
According to consumer advice website, Money Guide Ireland, a call to a 076 number on the Three and Vodafone Mobile networks costs 35c an minute. From a Sky landline, it’s 2.5c to 6.9c a minute at peak times, plus a 9.7c call connection fee. From a Virgin Media landline, it’s 4c per minute with a 16c connection fee.
‘Being taken advantage of’