Virgin Care does not use 0844 telephone numbers in providing NHS services - its partners do that

Virgin Care provides "over 100 NHS services across the country with a focus on community and primary healthcare". This includes "GP practices where the appointment times are designed around real people’s lives and needs".

It has "a network of GP provider companies across the country". These "provide NHS services by combining the clinical skills and expertise of the local GPs with the business and service expertise of Virgin Care".

Its website includes links identifying the services provided by its GP partners. These include the following surgeries, where the terms of the current NHS GP contract are being breached by the continuing use of 0844 telephone numbers.

Virgin Care Partnership	Partner	Surgery	Telephone number	Call type
Darlington	Carmel Medical Practice	Dr Metcalfe & Partners - Nunnery Lane, Darlington, County Durham DL3 9SQ	0844 477 8758	(g6)
	Felix House Surgery	MARSHALL & PARTNERS - Middleton Lane - Middleton Lane, Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham DL2 1AA	0844 477 3139	(g6)
Blackpool	The Arnold Medical Centre	Arnold Medical Centre - The Arnold Medical Centre, 204 St Annes Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 2EF	0844 499 6984	(g6)
Leeds	Hyde Park Surgery	Dr O'shea T S & Partners - Hyde Park Surgery, Woodsley Road, Leeds LS6 1SG	0844 375 6070	(g6)
	Manor Park Surgery	Dr Tolley J M & Partners - Manor Park Surgery, Bellmount Close, Bramley, Leeds LS13 2UP	0844 477 3145	(g6)
	Robin Lane Medical Centre	Dr Belderson L & Partners - Robin Lane Medical Centre, Robin Lane, Pudsey, Leeds LS28 7DE	0844 477 3074	(g6)
	Sunfield Medical Centre	Dr Broom C & Partners - Sunfield Medical Centre, Sunfield Place, Stanningley, Pudsey LS28 6DR	0844 477 3900	(g6)
	Westgate Surgery	Westgate Surgery - Westgate, Otley, Leeds LS21 3HD	0844 576 9050	(g6)
	Yeadon Tarn Medical Practice	The Thakur Practice - Silver Lane Surgery, Suffolk Court, Silver Lane, Yeadon LS19 7JN	0844 477 2553	(g6)
East Riding	St Nicholas Surgery	South Holderness Medical Practice - South Holderness Med Practice, St Nicholas Surgery, Queen Street, Withernsea HU19 2PZ	0844 477 3562	(g6)
	St Nicholas Surgery	South Holderness Medical Practice - The Surgery, St Patricks Green, Patrington HU12 0PF	0844 477 3572	(g6)
	The Marshes	The Marshes - Butt Lane, Snaith, Goole DN14 9DY	0844 477 8699	(g6)
Vertis	Bridge Surgery	Dr G A Caranci & Partners - The Bridge Surgery, 8 Evesham Road, Headless Cross Redditch, Worcestershire B97 4LA	0844 477 1758	(g6)
	Church Hill Medical Centre	Dr C H Mc Gregor & Partners - Church Hill Medical Centre, Tanhouse Lane, Church Hill Redditch, Worcestershire B98 9AA	0844 477 9455	(g6)
	New Road Surgery (Rubery)	Dr J N H Cheetham & Partners - New Road Surgery, 104-106 New Road, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9HY	0844 556 0011	(g6)
	New Road Surgery (Bromsgrove)	Dr W G H Dowley & Partners - New Road Surgery, 46 New Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 2JS	0844 477 2419	(g6)
	St Stephen’s Surgery	Dr S J Parkinson & Partners - St Stephen's Surgery, Adelaide Street, Redditch, Worcestershire B97 4AL	0844 477 3197	(g6)
	The Medical Centre	Drs Hakeem & Ahmad - Church Hill Medical Centre, Tanhouse Lane, Church Hill Redditch, Worcestershire B98 9AA	0844 387 9666	(g11)
	Winyates Health Centre	Dr N P Doherty & Partners - Winyates Health Centre, Winyates, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0NR	0844 477 3803	(g6)
	Woodrow Medical Centre	Dr S Ananthram & Partners (Main Surgery) - Woodrow Medical Centre, Woodrow, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 7RY	0844 477 3035	(g6)
Coventry	Allesley Village Surgery	Dr WHEATLEY & partner - 163 Birmingham Road, Allesley, Coventry, W Midlands CV5 9BD	0844 477 3885	(g6)
Leicestershire	Burbage Surgery	Dr DA Jones & Partners - Tilton Road, Burbage, Hinckley, Leics LE10 2SE	0844 477 1883	(g6)
	Bushloe End Surgery	Dr C Prideaux & Partners - 48 Bushloe End, Wigston, Leics LE18 2BA	0844 815 1425	(g6)
	Hollycroft Medical Centre	Dr N P Scarborough and Partners - Barwell Medical Centre, Jersey Way, Barwell, Leicestershire LE9 8HR	0844 477 3917	(g6)
	Long Lane Surgery	Dr N R Pulman & Partners - Beacon House, Long Lane, Coalville, Leics LE67 4DR	0844 477 3722	(g6)
	Rosemead Drive Surgery	Dr S Z Husain & Partners - 33 Harborough Road, Oadby, Leicester, Leics LE2 4LE	0844 499 2858	(g6)
	The Central Surgery	Dr MJ Davies & Partners - Brooksby Drive, Oadby, Leicestershire LE2 5AA	0844 499 6973	(g6)
Cambridge	Lensfield Medical Practice	Lensfield Medical Practice. - 48 Lensfield Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB2 1EH	0844 387 8222	(g11)
	Red House Surgery	96 Chesterton Road - The Red House Surgery, 96 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB4 1ER	0844 477 3124	(g6)
Lea Valley	Castlegate Surgery	WATSON LJ - 42 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH	0844 815 1224	(g6)
Chelmsford	Humber Road Surgery	Humber Road Surgery - Humber Road Surgery, 27 Humber Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 7PE	0844 387 8773	(g11)
	Stock Surgery	Stock Surgery - Common Road, Stock, Ingatestone, Essex CM4 9NF	0844 477 3088	(g6)
Minerva	West View Surgery	Dr Wj Coe & Partners - West View Surgery, 9 Park Road, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1BX	0844 880 2800	(g6)
Wiltshire	Adcroft Surgery	Adcroft Surgery - Adcroft Surgery, Prospect Place, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8QA	0844 477 8988	(g6)
	Bradford Road Medical Centre	Bradford Road Surgery - 60 Bradford Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9AR	0844 477 3052	(g6)
	Lovemead Group Practice	Lovemead Group Practice - Lovemead Group Practice, Roundstone Surgery, Polebarn Circus, Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 7EH	0844 477 8952	(g6)
	St James Surgery	St James Surgery - St James Surgery, Gains Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1QU	0844 477 8648	(g6)
	The Southbroom Surgery	The Southbroom Surgery - The Southbroom Surgery, The Green, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1LQ	0844 477 8657	(g6)
	Westbury Group Practice	Eastleigh Surgery - Eastleigh Surgery, Station Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3JD	0844 477 8760	(g6)
	Westbury Group Practice	White Horse Surgery - Westbury Hospital, Hospital Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3EL	0844 477 8762	(g6)
	Westbury Group Practice	Bratton Surgery - The Tynings, Bratton, Wiltshire BA13 4RR	0844 477 8761	(g6)
Hampshire	Hackwood Partnership	The Hackwood Partnership - The Hackwood Partnership, Essex House, Essex Road, Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 8SU	0844 477 3400	(g6)
Reading	London Street Surgery	Drs Essa & Harrold - The Surgery, 72 London Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 4SJ	0844 477 3950	(g6)
	Russell Street Surgery	Dr Swami Ml & Partners - The Surgery, 79 Russell Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 7XG	0844 477 8553	(g6)
Surrey	Stanwell Road Surgery	Dr CARTER & partners - 95 Stanwell Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 3EA	0844 387 9955	(g11)
Wandle	Cheam Family Practice	The Knoll - The Knoll Parkside, Cheam, Sutton, Surrey SM3 8BS	0844 477 8584	(g6)
	Cheam Family Practice	Gander Green Lane - 263 Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2HD	0844 477 8785	(g6)

The relative cost of calls to the "Call Types" shown can be found by consulting this table.

The false impression that Virgin Care is itself profiting from NHS patients by use of these expensive numbers is easily gained from the information on the website as quoted above.

There is however no doubt that the "business and service experience" of Virgin Care, including that derived from its sister company Virgin Media, will be of great assistance to its GP partners in recognising that callers pay more to call these numbers so as to provide the financial subsidy from which they benefit.

It will also help them to recognise that they can migrate from their 084 number to the equivalent 034 number within the term of their current contract for telephone service.