DH delays 084 decision after 'huge response'

10 Jun 09

The department had been due to publish its decision, which could affect telephone numbers at around 1,500 GP practices across the UK, by the end of April.

But the department’s 084 consultation team revealed in an email: ‘We have received approximately 3,000 responses to the overall consultation which is many more than we had anticipated getting, and which we understand from the central consultation team is an exceptionally high response rate to a departmental consultation.’

A Department of Health spokesperson confirmed a ‘huge response’ had prompted the delay, but was unable to say when the outcome of the consultation would be published.