Why do text messages cost so much anyway? Oh yes, I remember, because
it is necessary to pay the charges.
The NHS wants to save money on text messages, so it has come up with the
idea of using Whatsapp to communicate with patients. This is very
concerning I think. There must be some people in the NHS who know what a
bad idea this is, but many think it is great.
Here they are concerned that Whatsapp might be taken away from them.
https://bmjgroup.com/concerns-over-new-laws-that-could-end-use-of-whatsapp-in-the-nhs/
I would suggest the government come up with its own secure app, but we
can't trust the government either.
Why do text messages cost so much anyway? Oh yes, I remember, because it
is necessary to pay the charges.
https://www.zeropartydata.es/p/localhost-tracking-explained-it-could
On 26/02/2026 15:48, Richmond wrote:
The NHS wants to save money on text messages, so it has come up with
the idea of using Whatsapp to communicate with patients. This is very
concerning I think. There must be some people in the NHS who know
what a bad idea this is, but many think it is great. Here they are
concerned that Whatsapp might be taken away from them.
https://bmjgroup.com/concerns-over-new-laws-that-could-end-use-of-whatsapp-in-the-nhs/
I would suggest the government come up with its own secure app, but
we can't trust the government either. Why do text messages cost so
much anyway? Oh yes, I remember, because it is necessary to pay the
charges.
https://www.zeropartydata.es/p/localhost-tracking-explained-it-could
I'm now getting messages via the NHS App rather than via SMS. My wife
is still getting SMS messages - on *my* phone! - because she doesn't
use her own mobile very much, and hasn't signed up for the NHS App.
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could
send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could
send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail.
If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can> tellme that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they
could send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as
banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web
interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
HSBC used to allow the secure message, then it just disappeared.
Nowadays, you have to call them on the 'phone, and hope somebody
answers.
I hate the websites that have lots of Contact links, that go round in
circles and bring you back to where you started. They tend to only have specific choices of subjects to discuss, if your question doesn't fit
into any of them, it doesn't have any chance.
I hate the websites that have lots of Contact links, that go round in
circles and bring you back to where you started. They tend to only have >specific choices of subjects to discuss, if your question doesn't fit
into any of them, it doesn't have any chance.
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they
could send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as
banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web
interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> writes:
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they
could send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as
banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web
interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
The problem is how to communicate confidential information securely. I
don't think Whatsapp is the solution, nor are text messages, nor plain
text emails. GPG or PGP might be, but most people won't set it up.
So that leaves maybe a secure email service like Hushmail used to be, or Tutamail, or just setting up a web based service. Are there any other solutions?
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> writes:
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they
could send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as
banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a
message that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible
web interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they
can tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are
'important' ones which just tell me that my statement is available.
The could most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
The problem is how to communicate confidential information
securely. I don't think Whatsapp is the solution, nor are text
messages, nor plain text emails. GPG or PGP might be, but most people
won't set it up.
Whatsapp has the benefit of being a) secure and b) widely deployed. I
can see why it might be useful as a way to distribute information more securely than SMS.
So that leaves maybe a secure email service like Hushmail used to be,
or Tutamail, or just setting up a web based service. Are there any
other solutions?
Those would fail the b) test. I think realistically anything like
that would be easier to just be an NHS webmail portal where you
receive messages - but that's another thing you have to remember to
login to. (Web) apps like 'myChart' and 'Patient Access' already do
that function, although it's a patchwork with only some trusts using
them (they're offered by a private company who only won the tender for
some trusts).
Another B2B one I've used (via the NHS and with other businesses) is 'Egress': https://www.egress.com/
which is both a webmail platform and sends encrypted messages via
email which can be opened offline in their app (or via a link to their webmail if you don't have the app), but it's a bit clunky to use (and
a closed platform).
Perhaps the NHS should build something like that? eg if they had
their own IMAP server you could check for messages they could ensure transmission was secure up until your device. Adding it as another
mail account to devices might be a support headache though, even if
they got clients to auto-detect settings like they do for Gmail et al.
I can see why they just want to use a platform run by somebody else.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web interface.
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could
send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
The problem is how to communicate confidential information securely. I
don't think Whatsapp is the solution, nor are text messages, nor plain
text emails. GPG or PGP might be, but most people won't set it up.
So that leaves maybe a secure email service like Hushmail used to be, or Tutamail, or just setting up a web based service. Are there any other solutions?
I hate the websites that have lots of Contact links, that go round in
circles and bring you back to where you started. They tend to only have specific choices of subjects to discuss, if your question doesn't fit
into any of them, it doesn't have any chance.
Quite!
Those sites that actually have a functioning way of sending messages
usually respond by email, but seldom include the text of your original message.
This is increasingly annoying when you then need to say , "Answer the question below instead of posting boilerplate irrelevance."
I used to use a different email provider, but we fell out over
technical issues. Each new move in a long support saga was announced
by an email telling me to review the latest response online. Why not
just include it in the email? :-(
Davey wrote:
I hate the websites that have lots of Contact links, that go round in
circles and bring you back to where you started. They tend to only have
specific choices of subjects to discuss, if your question doesn't fit
into any of them, it doesn't have any chance.
Quite!
Those sites that actually have a functioning way of sending
messages usually respond by email, but seldom include the text of
your original message.
This is increasingly annoying when you then need to say , "Answer
the question below instead of posting boilerplate irrelevance."
I used to use a different email provider, but we fell out over
technical issues. Each new move in a long support saga was
announced by an email telling me to review the latest response
online. Why not just include it in the email? :-(
Chris
Do you have the NHS app on your phone? or do you use the web app?
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could
send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
I fear those days are long gone; emails from companies that aren't sent
from an unmonitored address are pretty rare these days; often they don't
tell you it's unmonitored until near the end of the email, so you don't
spot that fact until you've mostly composed your reply - or, not infrequently, they don't tell you at all. (_Sometimes_ emailing the unmonitored address triggers an automatic reply, which is infuriating
but at least you know; at other times you don't even know. Always look
at the address you're replying to - if it is something like no-reply@
you have a fair idea.)
I think the NHS would probably outsource something like that. They
already have some company called "Accurx". I don't know much about it
but I get text messages with links to Accurx telling me to enter my date
of birth. Quite a disasterous policy I think. But it might work if the
email server were clearly an NHS domain.
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could
send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
I have had to start writing letters to my bank (NatWest) as it is the
only secure way of communicating with them. They send me back letters telling me that for security reasons they refuse to follow my
instructions, so I need to send them a letter conmfirming that I am who
I say i am.
I have done this but so far they claim they haven't received it,
although they seem to know what is in it. I have now been through their telephone security procedure four times and every time they say they
just need to ring me back and then they can proceed - they have never
rung back.
('phone systems too, not just websites.) It should be a_law_ that any
such menu should include at least "Other" (with a text window you can
type into, not just Other as a selectable option), or ideally "human". (Especially 'phone systems.)
On 27/02/2026 11:58, Richmond wrote:
I think the NHS would probably outsource something like that. They
already have some company called "Accurx". I don't know much about it
but I get text messages with links to Accurx telling me to enter my date
of birth. Quite a disasterous policy I think. But it might work if the
email server were clearly an NHS domain.
I collected a prescription earlier. They wanted my name (I usually have
to spell it) and forenames, address and postcode.
I did try taking a previous prescription with me and showing their
printed label on the box but did not seem to help.
There must be an easier way!
On 27/02/2026 12:49, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
('phone systems too, not just websites.) It should be a_law_ that
any such menu should include at least "Other" (with a text window
you can type into, not just Other as a selectable option), or
ideally "human". (Especially 'phone systems.)
YouGov frequently have questions where there is no correct answer.
On Fri 27/02/2026 12:42, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
They could send me a gpg encrypted email if they wanted. Or they could >>> send me an email saying there is a message waiting for me as banks do.
That's my pet hate, banks sending me messages to say there's a message
that I have to dig out from the depths of their horrible web interface.
If someone sends me an E-Mail I expect to be able to send them an
E-Mail. If there's an 'important' message from the bank then they can
tell me that when I next log in to my bank account. The really
annoying messages (I get a lot of these from Lloyds) are 'important'
ones which just tell me that my statement is available. The could
most definitely go in an ordinary E-Mail.
Even worse is HSBC who send me E-Mails and messages but won't even
allow me to send them a 'secure' message, let alone an E-Mail.
I have had to start writing letters to my bank (NatWest) as it is the
only secure way of communicating with them. They send me back letters telling me that for security reasons they refuse to follow my
instructions, so I need to send them a letter conmfirming that I am who
I say i am.
I have done this but so far they claim they haven't received it,
although they seem to know what is in it. I have now been through their telephone security procedure four times and every time they say they
just need to ring me back and then they can proceed - they have never
rung back.
I have to say that my bank - First Direct* - have only ever put a foot
wrong once in 35+ years with them and that was a delivery error on a Eurocard. They at least got Victoria Wine to deliver me a decent bottle
of white!
*For those that don't know FD is an autonomous division of HSBC. They
must be doing something right as they are consistently in the top five
or six in customer finance satisfaction surveys.
What is more their call centres are in Leeds (as is their HQ) and
Paisley in Scotland so if you ring them you only ever have to deal with
a Yorkshire or Scottish accent!
I've now discovered (after nearly 2 hours 'phoning them yesterday and a further hour today) that the reason they couldn't ring me back was
because they withheld their number and I had 'witheld number blocking'
set up to prevent scammers.
In the "When did you stop beating your wife?" vein?
I did try taking a previous prescription with me and showing theirMo. you might have got that from someones trash
printed label on the box but did not seem to help.
On 27/02/2026 18:33, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I did try taking a previous prescription with me and showing theirMo. you might have got that from someones trash
printed label on the box but did not seem to help.
All they have to do is use a previous prescription to identify the order
(I always use my second forename so the label shows the format they use
on my 'account'). They can they then ask for some identification. So
only two items needed.
I make my order online so their online system could print out a sort of prescription ID card.
If someone who knew me and wanted to get their hands on my prescription
to sell or to feed an addiction,...
On 27/02/2026 21:33, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
I've now discovered (after nearly 2 hours 'phoning them yesterday and a
further hour today) that the reason they couldn't ring me back was
because they withheld their number and I had 'witheld number blocking'
set up to prevent scammers.
Before I retired I used to spend periods on 24/7 call so I had my phone
set to reject calls with Number Withheld. I asked our Call Centre about this and they had no problem because they had other users with the same settings and just put '1470' on the numbers in their system.
On 2026/2/28 9:3:50, JMB99 wrote:
On 27/02/2026 21:33, Liz Tuddenham wrote:Wouldn't work anyway; in the last year (probably much longer), I've only
I've now discovered (after nearly 2 hours 'phoning them yesterday and a
further hour today) that the reason they couldn't ring me back was
because they withheld their number and I had 'witheld number blocking'
set up to prevent scammers.
been told "number withheld" once on using 1471; all others have shown a number, about half and half 07... and 01... ones. (Oh, and the
occasional 000... one.) So they spoof a number. [When I subsequently try
1572 option 1 to block them, _that_ says "from an unknown number". But
1471 gives a number.]
I may have had number-withheld calls - I don't have them blocked - and answered them; I've had calls from my local surgery. I've not had one
that was clearly a phishing/scam/whatever one that on subsequent
checking with 1471 said it was withheld. (The one exception I mention
above I don't know whether it was dodgy or not - I didn't get to it in
time, so it might have been genuine; obviously, I couldn't ring back to check!)
Before I retired I used to spend periods on 24/7 call so I had my phone
set to reject calls with Number Withheld. I asked our Call Centre about
this and they had no problem because they had other users with the same
settings and just put '1470' on the numbers in their system.
Interesting; I had assumed that was just for private users who'd decided
to have their CLID blocked. Useful to know it (1470) can be set on more complex systems such as a call centre.
It depends on the call centre system. When I worked in a local council
we couldn't set individual numbers on the phone system so it was set to "withheld". We had a few mobiles so we could call those folks with
Anonymous Call Rejection set.
I had to physically go into an HSBC branch to get my account closed
after they debanked me.
BunchOfCunts
On 27/02/2026 11:01, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I had to physically go into an HSBC branch to get my account closed
after they debanked me.
BunchOfCunts
HSBC debanked you? HSBC?? Holy moly you must be a bad person ;)
It depends on the call centre system. When I worked in a local council
we couldn't set individual numbers on the phone system so it was set to "withheld". We had a few mobiles so we could call those folks with
Anonymous Call Rejection set.
Lot of times the hospitals will call from a particular secretary's phone
but give a caller ID of the main hospital switchboard which is
essentially useless
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