"calls to this number are barred from your phone"

[angryphoneuser]

I was desperately trying to get through to my GP surgery first thing this morning so I could get an appointment, and tried the number (just a local landline number) a few times in short succession as it was obviously engaged. Then I started to get a recording that said "calls to this number are barred from your phone" and just disconnects. It's incredibly dangerous to do this - I don't have any other phones and getting through to my doctor is urgent.

Virgin Media call centre said it's nothing to do with them and Google Pixel support deny it too. Surely it can't be an NHS doctors' surgery blocking people's calls?? They'd be blocking and distressing patients who need help, every morning at 8am when the appointments open that day.

Any ideas on why it's happened and what to do?

[Zach_R]

Hi @angryphoneuser,
 

Thank you for your post and welcome to our community forums. We're here to help.

I'm very sorry to hear that you're facing some issues calling from your mobile handset. Are any other numbers impacted when you try to call them?

Thanks,
 

[angryphoneuser]

Doesn't seem like it, I was able to get through to another landline after the block.

[Zach_R]

Hi @angryphoneuser,

Thanks for checking. We're unable to block specific landline numbers for you on your phone, so if you had an issue with one landline number you'd also have issues with others.

Are you able to call the GP surgery now or are you still getting the same message when you try?

Thanks,
 

[angryphoneuser]

The block seems to have gone now. Does this mean it was the GP surgery? This seems like such an odd thing for them to do.

[Zach_R]

Hi @angryphoneuser,

I'm glad to hear this is working for you now. It'd be hard to say exactly, but it's possible that there was an issue with the line at the time that you made the call.

Let us know if you need any further help with anything.

Thanks,