The Trust provides a comprehensive range of general acute hospital services to a population of around 500,000 across Gloucestershire and parts of neighbouring counties.

Following a reorganisation of health care services in Gloucestershire in 2002, the Trust set about reviewing the way in which it handled the 500,000 plus calls it receives each month. The New Trust found itself with a multitude of telephone numbers which meant the public having to remember numerous numbers depending on which department they required and/or where they were calling from. For the sake of simplicity for callers, it was decided that one single phone number was needed and the Trust adopted a Local Rate (0845) Telephone Number.

With the geographical spread of the Trust it was just not practical to continue with a geographical numbering scheme and Gloucestershire Hospitals is the first NHS Trust in the country to adopt a Local rate (0845) telephone number.

"As our staff are quite mobile and can work across all the Trust's sites, it was important that they can be reached easily wherever they are. In combination with our automated answering service, staff can direct all their calls to a chosen location, whether it is their office, another site or on their mobile phones.

"The public also benefit from the new system, they now only need to remember one telephone number for contacting all departments in the Trust from wherever they may be located in the County."

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust comprises Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Cheltenham General Hospital, Standish Hospital, and Delancey Assessment and Rehabilitation Hospital.