A HAMPSHIRE doctor's surgery criticised after hitting patients with increased charges for making an appointment is to scrap its controversial national rate phone line.

The Victor Street Surgery in Shirley, Southampton came under fire for introducing a 0870 number last year, leaving patients holding in a queue system without realising the cost of the call.

Angry patients bombarded the practice with complaints, branding the number change underhand and potentially expensive, with each call costing an extra 2p to 3p a minute.

Also, there were concerns about elderly patients finding the automated system, which gave callers a choice of eight touch-tone options, confusing.

The Shirley surgery was one of the first GP practices in the country to introduce the system last summer.

Since then, about 300 others are thought to have signed up.

But now the Daily Echo has learned the Victory Street Surgery is making a U-turn, following concern from the Department of Health about practices cashing in on the sick.

Andy Lopez, practice manager, said: "We are awaiting guidance from the Department of Health but have decided to pre-empt the rush by asking for a local rate number.

"We hope this will be in place by the end of April.

"Initially, we did have a number of complaints about the system but these tailed off very quickly.

"It has been a huge benefit to us and there are plans to upgrade it further, at the surgery's own cost.

"We hope to be able to introduce an electronic booking system, which would allow patients to make an appointment even if they came home at midnight."

Mr Lopez said the touch-tone system had now been redesigned with only four options for callers following complaints that it was too complicated.

A spokesman for Southampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT), which provides health services across the city, said: "The PCT and Victor Street GP surgery are currently awaiting guidance from the Department of Health, who are looking at the wider implications of using national rate telephone numbers for the NHS.

"They are currently investigating, with a view to banning, the use of national rate numbers so that patients don't pay over the odds and companies don't profit from people seeking to access local health services.

"We expect the Department of Health to make an announcement within the next few weeks."

The spokesman added that the Victor Street practice was working with telephone supplier NEG Plc to change the line to a local rate number and had been assured there would be no additional cost implications.

She said the PCT had received only two complaints from patients about the use of national rate numbers, which enable organisations to collect a slice of the charge imposed on callers.

The U-turn was today welcomed by patients.

One Southampton woman, whose elderly aunt is a patient at the surgery, said: "I am delighted they have been rumbled and forced to change back to a local number.

"It has been nothing but a blatant rip-off. I just hope the surgery writes to all its patients to let them know this time."

The woman, who asked not to be named, thanked the Daily Echo for highlighting the issue.