Why No Hospital Wi Fi?

boozercruiser

I was in Aberystwyth (West Wales) Hospital recently and tentatively hoping there would be a Wi Fi signal I took in my Asus Transformer Tablet. Of course that stood a fat chance and there was not any Wi Fi which was accessible to a patient.

So all there was to do was look around at all the other poor people in the Ward, the coming and going of visitors, Nurses doing the Nursing and the demented yelling of one or two poor people nearing the end.

No Telly in the Ward, not even the Rip Off Pay ones. Actually, I wouldn't even mind paying a reasonable amount for Wi Fi.......but you can bet your bottom dollar that any charges would NOT be reasonable!

So, I was bored pitless!

Being in hospital can be an isolating experience, particularly in the modern world when most people are used to be constantly connected to their networks. Now that the restrictions on use of mobile phones in hospitals have been lifted, and many hospitals have closed wifi networks for staff use, many of the arguments against hospital wifi no longer apply.

Availability of wifi in hospitals would allow people to stay connected during their stay, and aid their recovery by maintaining their spirits. It would allow "virtual visiting" by those who cannot otherwise get to see the patient, ensure that people for who hospitalisation is an interruption to a busy schedule can keep up with their work, and perhaps allow greater degrees of contact between busy medical staff and patients. It will be of particular benefit to students whose study is interrupted by hospitalisation.

After all, this is 2012 so what do you guys think about it? Particularly if you have been in Hospital lately and wanted to fire up your 3G or whatever.

And if you haven't been in Hospital in recent times, don't forget that one day you probably will be!

Cheers.;)

kwikbreaks

Most hospitals provided (chargeable) TV radio and internet display screeens. Most patients don't bother with using them - possibly because they are rubbish or possibly because they are too ill.

gjchester

NO

Turn you phone on near a ratio and you get static over the speaker as it throws out radio interference. Would you honestly want that near any delicate electronics that could providing vital care to you?

We looked that for an issue at work, the interference is pretty localised maybe 2-3M, but you never know whats the otherside of a wall. The porters radios are usually a lot worse than phones or WiFi for RF interference and usually have a greater output power. Chances are it will be fine but theres always the chance something may be moved closer, it's like airplanes, electronics in the passenger cabin should not be strong enough to affect cockpit instruments but you never know where the wiring goes.

Most hospitals say no mobiles for the same reason, but people (and staff) routinely ignore that too, so it's not a huge issue, but theres a difference between patients/visitors/ staff ignoring rules and putting in infrastructure that allows such rule brealihng.

Lleucu

YES

Hi glad you posted this problem, good post husband also had the same problem in a series of hospital admissions, mobile was confiscated in Birmingham for the reasons of interfering with equipment (though this did not stop the staff using theirs), all that was available was an awful in house system, then Hereford (nothing at all apart from paid for TV). Finally cracked the problem by tethering a laptop to a Blackberry but this only works with a good signal (and there was a constant threat of the item being confiscated and send to a health and safety assessment as it is electrical equipment).

Though he was not well, he felt very isolated because of the lack of internet access and oppressed like the poster by patients with dementia yelling all the time.

I also cannot understand why wi fi is not available to patients. It also puzzles me why the price of basic TV is so high.

boozercruiser

YES

Thank you to Posters.:T

Doing a quick Google on this subject as per below links shows that this can be done......now for a head of steam! To the pessimists of this aim all I can say is "Oh! ye of little faith!:D

http://johnpopham.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/free-wifi-for-hospital-patients-progress-report/

http://www.wifispark.com/about-us/news/hospital-articles/168-epsom-st-hellier-hospital-wifi

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/New-wi-fi-service-patients-visitors-hospitals/story-15053741-detail/story.html

There are other links if one cares to look on Google.

Once there is plenty of opinion here I will contact my Aberystwyth Hospital and see where they fit in respect of Wi Fi in Hospital.

Cheers.:)

macman

Sounds like an instance where a 3G Kindle or tablet would be ideal, rules permitting.

duchy

Could you not have brought a 3g PAYG dongle with you?
Frankly if a hospital provided wi-fi for patients they'd probably charge as highly for it as they do for TV and phone so people would moan even more.

Pity you didn't think to download some books or games onto the tablet before you went in.

boozercruiser

YES

duchy wrote: »

Could you not have brought a 3g PAYG dongle with you?
Frankly if a hospital provided wi-fi for patients they'd probably charge as highly for it as they do for TV and phone so people would moan even more.

Pity you didn't think to download some books or games onto the tablet before you went in.

You are probably right in respect of high charges, but that could be moaned about and opposed.

Regarding 3G Dongle....I won't subscribe to any charges....me being tight like;)

You are wrong to assume that I didn't take any usefull stuff in on my Tablet. For a start I had my 18000 music collection and radio programs recorded in 320MPS quality listening through my expensive Seinhiser Noise Reducing Headphones so I didn't have to listen to the general Ward Noise.

I also did have some games, books etc. etc. etc. for the 10.1 Tablet Screen.

BUT....I wanted E. Mail access and so I could get on this Forum to try and banter with the negative pessimistic remarks one can get on here!;)

And I wanted to access for which I pay £5.99 to Netflix and my Spotify for which I pay Premium £9.99 a Month amongst all of the other things one can do on-line...BBC I player for one and my Slingbox for another! Get the picture?

PS "I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole"

I will give this particular mountain a try!

Cheers

Lleucu

YES

It might be worth contacting the Community Health Council as they are responsible for representing the patient interest in hospital, its Monica Williams (Chief Officer), 8 Portland Road, Aberystwyth SY23 2NL 01970 624760 http://www.hyweldda.wales.nhs.uk[EMAIL="ceredigion@chcwales.org.uk"]ceredigion@chcwales.org.uk[/EMAIL]

boozercruiser

YES

Lleucu wrote: »

It might be worth contacting the Community Health Council as they are responsible for representing the patient interest in hospital, its Monica Williams (Chief Officer), 8 Portland Road, Aberystwyth SY23 2NL 01970 624760 http://www.hyweldda.wales.nhs.uk[EMAIL="ceredigion@chcwales.org.uk"]ceredigion@chcwales.org.uk[/EMAIL]

Well thank you very much for that info Lleucu:T

This is just the sort of information I need in order to try and get things moving. Ideally though, I am not just thinking about my own Hospital but the whole of the United Kingdom to have Wi Fi access .

It should be so simple really....in Hospital and shut off from the outside world feeling sorry for oneself.......Wi Fi....... access to the WORLD and Family!!

Job Done!:D

PS I see here that there is a charge....seems a bit steep to me....but I wouldn't mind paying something...so long as they give a pensioner Concession!!

New wi-fi service for patients and visitors at hospitals in Lincolnshire
Saturday, January 28, 2012Lincolnshire EchoFollow
Patients and visitors at hospitals in Lincolnshire are set to benefit from a new wi-fi service.

Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital in Boston will see all wards and refreshment areas given access to wi-fi.

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Access: Lincoln County Hospital
The service, which goes live at the end of February, can be used via any mobile device such as a laptop or mobile phone and will be managed by WiFi SPARK.

Stephen Creasey, ICT technical services manager, at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Many patients and visitors have mobile phones they want to use the internet on or even a laptop if they are in hospital for a set amount of time.

"We are confident that a number of our patients and visitors will use the new service during their time at ULHT."

It will cost £3.20 for three hours use, £6 for 34 hours, £11.50 for seven days and £15.20 for a month.

highet

always makes me laugh when i read about no mobile phones etc in hospital as they could interfere with delicate ''medical'' devices - these delicate devices have exactly the same electronic innards as your laptop/sat nav/tv/car etc etc - they dont make special delicate medical electronics!!! - has anyone ever experienced any of these going kaput when they turn on their mobile or tablet - i very much doubt it