http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6449557.stm

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A ban on patients and doctors using mobile phones in hospitals in England is to be lifted this spring, the government has announced.
Restrictions have been in place because of concerns phones could interfere with medical equipment.

But an NHS regulator said last year phones could safely be used in some areas away from sensitive equipment.

Announcing the changes, health minister Andy Burnham said there was now "no reason" for an outright ban on mobiles.

The advice published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said mobile use should be restricted only where specialist equipment was used, as in intensive care and specialist baby units.

[...]

Sharon Hodgson, Labour MP for Gateshead and Washington, who led a campaign to lift the mobile phone ban said she was "delighted" it would be easier for patients to use their phones in hospital, rather than having to rely on expensive bedside systems.

[...]

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idb wrote on Mar 14^th, 2007 at 12:47pm:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6449557.stm The advice published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said mobile use should be restricted only where specialist equipment was used, as in intensive care and specialist baby units.

It's proximity (a few feet at the most) to the equipment that's the key not generalisations like that.  

I was in ITU 2 years ago and the nurse brought me a DECT cordless handset so I could take a call 3 hours after I'd been taken off assisted breathing.

The surgeon walked in an hour or so later - talking on his cellphone!

No, it wasn't an NHS hospital.