Rip Off hospital phone

sillyvixen

apparently our local nhs trust are looking in to allowing mobile phones on its wards. thank goodness, i would rather not be contacted by my family if i was in hospital than have them pay these rip off rates.

Js_Other_Half

My maternity unit let me use my mobile phone in the single room I was in (having just had a c section). It saved me a fortune

Bun

Quite frankly these charges for incoming calls are extortionate, and having used it for the first time when I was in hospital last year on AAU (asthma attack) it drove me round the bend. I kept having to field calls from relatives which although well-meaning to be honest was a complete pain, as they kept calling during meals, when the consultant was coming round etc, and I really didn't feel up to talking to them, but couldn't not answer as they would have worried (not living within visiting distance). Also the onus was on me to call people back to save money, which cost me a fortune. Personally I would have preferred if they could have checked my progress with the main reception, and I could have called any of them that I wished from the reception or pay phones. This also would not have given everybody the impression I was available the whole time. I also felt embarrassed talking when it was quiet and people were trying to sleep, and I also didn't want to go into chapter and verse about my condition with no privacy, which I would have had if I had used the payphone at my discretion.I know that nurses are busy but having dealt with relatives staying in hospital this way it has previously worked fine. I know that not everybody is capable of calling out, but the elderly on my ward couldn't work the machines anyway. However, I think that mobiles that take pictures etc have no place on the ward, particularly as many are mixed, so they should be kept in lockers off the ward if this is at all possible and used in a communal area only. Then again the staff have enough to do without having to face abuse while trying to get phones off patients.

I would say that the tv/radio was a lifesaver though, but again my choice to use it. I used it more with headphones to cut out any noise when trying to sleep.
I understand also that the incoming calls were supposed to be banned at high rates for children's wards, but still are at these levels, which is appalling.

When I go in to have baby no 2, I don't think I will be bothering, will just use the payphone or my mobile if allowed.

wherediditallgo

I've had several stays in the same hospital over the last few years, & have seen the policy re mobiles change significantly over that time. Initially, your only choices were to use the payphones that could be wheeled to your bedside or stand in a draughty corridor near the lifts - not the best thing to be doing when you've had surgery & there's a queue of people waiting for the bedside one. Mobiles were banned without exception.

When Patientline was installed, I found the costs exorbitant at first, but when I realised I'd be in hospital for at least 10 days at a time, I asked people to spend less on flowers & give me a Patientline card instead. That cut the cost down a lot, & enabled me to watch tv late at night when I was too uncomfortable to sleep. Mobiles were allowed on some wards, but not on others. By the time I had my last stay (May this year), things had changed again. The hospital allows mobiles on all general surgery wards but they must be kept on silent, & they reserve the right to ban the use if this isn't adhered to - I don't blame them on that one, as until you've actually been on a ward tring to rest, you've no idea just how unsettling hearing someone's phone go off can be. Mobiles also can't be used to make or take calls before 7.30am or after 9pm unless you're prepared to go outside the ward to do so, as patients are either still sleeping or have usually started to get settled for bed by then & could be woken or kept awake by neighbouring conversations.

When I had problems with my Patientline monitor not working properly, I called the Patientline office in my hospital & they sorted out a free card for the following day. Although it can be very expensive to use Patientline, I carried my laptop to hospital the last time & used to watch freeview on that when I didn't have a payment card. That, plus using my mobile whenever possible & my friends/family helping out by buying cards instead of flowers etc, meant I hardly spent anything this time - about £5 over the two weeks.

One thing I'd say to anyone leaving hospital who has been using a Patientline card is never leave your card on the ward when you're discharged. I either get Patientline to give me a credit, or I give my card with any balance to a patient on the same ward that I've made friends with. I never used to do that, but one day I found out that the Patientline staff who come round the beds were giving the cards to other patients when they had to issue partial refunds (meaning the refund wasn't actually costing them anything), plus some nurses were taking the cards so as to make calls, which I felt was theft.

dominiquereynolds

Just been reading Patientlines financial report on their web site. They are making a hefty loss!!

Discovered that by using www.mobivox.com you can reduce the call to a patientline phone number down to 35 american cents per minute.