GP surgeries and other NHS buildings may not be able to use expensive phone numbers in the future, ministers have said.
The government is currently consulting with people throughout England to find whether the service should continue using numbers with an 084 prefix. They can be used for applications such as booking appointments, as they queue callers rather than providing an engaged tone when the line is busy. However, they are more expensive than standard local calls from a landline.
According to phone campaigner David Hickson, this went against the principle that the NHS should be "free at the point of need". He told the BBC's Today programme: "The difference in each call may only be a few pence for some people, but the costs can really mount up for others - especially for people who are using mobiles because they don't have a landline."
However, Richard Vautrey, the deputy chair of the British Medical Association's GP Committee, said that the numbers had made a "dramatic improvement" to patients. Previously, many had complained that they were struggling to get through on the phone.
He added that any accusations that GPs profited from the numbers were a "myth". His practice in Leeds has seen its costs increase from £7,000 to £10,000 annually since putting in the new 084 system.
