to not answer my phone to withheld/Unknown/unrecognised numbers

[LonerDave]

It drives me nuts.

But am I BU to not answer these calls

I always assume they are nuisance calls.

Why can't NHS etc have a recognised number then?

Why can't NHS etc have a recognised number then?

Patient confidentiality? If the NHS are trying to ring you but others in the house have no idea you are ill/having treatment?

NHS numbers normally go through a switchboard so you won't recognise it.

I wouldn't answer a withheld number either - and I've worked for the NHS for 25 years. Email/text/letters are alternatives - there is other tech available apart from phones!

My dad doesn't answer withheld numbers either and as we're ex directory my number doesn't show up - I ring 3 times, hang up and ring straight back, and that way he knows it's me.

I have withheld my own number a few times (I volunteer but won't give my private number out) and once I got a recorded message saying something along the lines of 'this phone doesn't accept withheld numbers'. Really odd.

Lonerdave...what sparklingbrook said patient confidentially which is the reason we cant leave messages. We have no idea who has access to the answerphone!

Good point on patient confidentiality

Email would work better, you can also set up a secure email exchange

With today's technology I'm amazed that the NHS etc use ringing someone as their main form of contact.

Just thought provoking I suppose

I have the answerphone on permanently in case it's my mother. You can always pick up halfway through if it's not a sales call.

Ynbu. I never answer unknown or unrecognisable numbers

Our hospital call us all the time from withheld numbers (they've called me three times already this week). They also text my mobile. They also leave messages on my mobile but they know it's my mobile.

Oddly, the schools numbers come up as they aren't blocked.

Just think of all the NHS staff time wasted ringing people who never answer the phone if it's a withheld number. They can't leave a message so then presumably have to write out, taking up even more time and money.

My GP surgery will text a reminder for an appointment to my mobile but I had to opt in to get it, same as the dentist.

call guardian totally changed everything, I haven't had a single call that is annoying since we changed over, we ended up having to get it as the endless nonsense and fraud calls, were interfering with the working day and home life.

All we had to do was put in all contact numbers, you can add anyone who calls who you want to get straight through , if the number has not been entered, then they have to state their name and call guardian lets you hear them and you press 1 to open the call or you can reject it, all dodgy callers give up before you are bothered. You can block numbers or add them, it also means your home/office phone has all your contacts so quick dialling.

Blame it on all the bloody cold callers then! Every single call to my home phone is junk and I am on the TPS

And some try to get round it by directing a call so it looks like it is an international number but is actually from the UK

demented - that's why I ended up having to do the whole faffy 3 rings for my dad. He's been pestered endlessly with cold callers, despite being on TPS.

The NHS doesn't have to waste hours ringing people - plenty of other options available.

Re NHS: you might be surprised how many people 1) do not have mobile phones 2) do not have email 3) change their phone numbers and don't tell GP/hospital.

The problem is all the options have to be watertight as far as patient confidentiality goes for the NHS. Actually speaking to the person on the phone is a good way to contact.

Yep, DH's old work phone had a weird setting so he couldn't get it off withheld, plus my parents live abroad plus drs etc.

I answer them because the children's schools, dh's school all come through like that.

I worked at an NHS hospital, in various areas, for several years. Even as a temp/bank secretary, there were occasionally times I had to make phone calls to patients. After a few years, I had a short-term contract as secretary to a consultant, so even more phone calls to patients. It wasn't until I got an answerphone message similar to Sparklingbrook that I moaned to the other secretaries about what the heck I was supposed to do if the patient wouldn't accept withheld numbers. I was very quickly told that the switchboard could dial the number for me, with a prefix code that then displayed the hospital number. Problem solved.

When I eventually got a permanent contract, I had to then go on the induction courses for new employees. No mention was made about the issue of the withheld number and the technique for getting round that.

That was a few years ago, so the technology has been around for a long time. But that requires people to know about or, rather, be told about it.

LonerDave - occasionally it can be so urgent that the fastest means of communication is required, and many people still only have a landline, or only give their landline number.

I wouldn't be surprised at all - having worked for the thing for 25 years! Departments still need to make sure that messages are getting through, and that should involve a bit of forward planning and creative thinking. If a patient insists they want to be contacted by phone and then refuses to pick up then there's nothing more you can do, but it's important that other options are offered - far more efficient and effective use of staff time.

Re:NHS

How do you know it's actually the person you intend to speak to on the end of the phone?????? Any male or female voice could pretend to be the person.

You're amazed the NHS use phoning people as their main form of contact?
We text people. 'Didn't get it.' Don't turn up for appt, time wasted.
We send letters. 'Didn't get it/ didn't get it in time.' Don't turn up for appt, time wasted.
We tell them at the first appt the time/ date for second appt. 'Too long ago, forgot/ didn't put it in diary' etc. Don't turn up for appt, time wasted.
We call patients the day or two before. 4 of 5 confirm attendance, 5th doesn't answer withheld numbers. HCP can be told 'A, B, D and E confirmed, C we couldn't contact.' HCP then knows C may or may not come but at least we have some idea!
A and D might not come anyway but that's another matter.

Number withheld calls don't even ring my phone. They are answered by my Truecall machine that tells them to call again with their number. If someone really needs to get through they will find a way. My GP surgery doesn't withhold.

How do your patients confirm 1/2 days before their appointment if they're not getting other forms of notification?