the cost  of hospital patient line phones is terrible both to the user and the caller. some times children are in hospital and they cant afford to call parents. they put a telly on there to  entice people so  y not just give 1 cost for both phone and telly, not over the top prices that people on benfits and pensioners cannot afford in fact y not make them free

Nothing in this world is free and if it was who is going to pay for it? ::)

Patientline is now Hospedia and you can indeed have a package for TV & phone.

See here

http://www.patientline.co.uk/using_ptl_sevices.htm

To call from a hospital bed it is something like 10 pence aminute with a minimum call charge of 10 pence.

sherbert wrote on Jun 12^th, 2009 at 3:29pm:

Nothing in this world is free and if it was who is going to pay for it? ::) Patientline is now Hospedia and you can indeed have a package for TV & phone. See here http://www.patientline.co.uk/using_ptl_sevices.htm To call from a hospital bed it is something like 10 pence aminute with a minimum call charge of 10 pence.

...fortunately there should now be an alternative:

Hospital Ban on Mobile Phones Lifted
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5458433.ece

farci wrote on Jun 12^th, 2009 at 4:18pm:

...fortunately there should now be an alternative: Hospital Ban on Mobile Phones Lifted http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5458433.ece

I had forgotten about that. :-[

sherbert wrote on Jun 12^th, 2009 at 4:44pm:

farci wrote on Jun 12th, 2009 at 4:18pm: ...fortunately there should now be an alternative: Hospital Ban on Mobile Phones Lifted http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5458433.ece

It will only be an alternative if individual Trust say so, as they are only "guidelines", from your link; -

Individual NHS Trusts will decide whether to adopt the new guidelines.


And as we know from the use of 0844 numbers to surgeries that they continue to allow, it is doubtful if they will "adopt the new guidelines"