Patients are having to pay £7 a day to watch TV in their hospital beds after the charge more than doubled overnight.

The bedside TV and phone company Hospedia raised the price of using its equipment at three hospitals from £2.90.

MPs and patient groups have condemned the rises, which they fear could be matched for all the 75,000 ‘bedside entertainment systems’ run by the company across the country.

North Tyneside General Hospital, one of the three affected, has demanded an urgent meeting with Hospedia.

The old £2.90 charge covered only TVs, while phones were charged by the call – 10p a minute for patients to phone out and a painful 49p a minute for relatives to phone in. The company says the new price will cover the TV service and free phone calls.


But there is no lower charge for patients who do not want to make calls.

.....

Hospedia said the £7 charge was a package covering TV, including a sports channel, and unlimited outgoing calls. Relatives would now have to pay only 10p a minute to call in.

From Daily MailHospedia said the £7 charge was a package covering TV, including a sports channel, and unlimited outgoing calls. Relatives would now have to pay only 10p a minute to call in.

Did you miss the Relatives would now have to pay only 10p a minute to call in part of your own post?

Let us compare the prices of this company with Patientline. Patientline charge much more. I am not saying that this company is good, but we may get better deals in future hopefully.

From Daily Mail

Quote:

An alternative version will be implemented with the same attempt to retain the essence of lower call prices but re-balance TV costs.