Contacting a transplant patient

diamond_dave

Bit of a strange one- I am on the transplant list but mobile phone coverage is patchy here. The hospital don't seem worried but I don't want to miss the opportunity to have a normal life. Can any one offer any solutions - they laughed when I suggested a pager but can't think of any other way of being contacted.Thanks

beanielou

Can anyone help with this? 

teddysmum

I think a hospital would be able to get round a phone malfunction, for an emergency.

 A couple of years ago, a neighbour was needed for an urgent blood transfusion, but was not answering his phone. The hospital obviously contacted his GP, as the doctor came round, asking neighbours if they knew  of anywhere he could be, as he was obviously not at home (car missing). 

Spoonie_Turtle

If you're mostly at home and wifi is alright, e-mail or WhatsApp message?  Landline or VoIP, or some text message apps can work on wifi as well - not sure how to find out which ones do or not, though.  Whether the hospital would agree / be able to use any of those is another matter.

If you're out and about with patchy signal though, sorry I have no idea.

theoretica

What does patchy mean in reality?  Would having SIMs on more than one network help if coverage is different between services?

diamond_dave

Thanks All. As I have no idea how long I shall have to wait, I have no intention of putting my life on hold, and as I need to exercise        ( walking) I want no get out and about as muchas possible. Living in Cornwall, mobile coverage is patchy at best but non existent on some coastal walks. I agreed with you theoretica about having 3 different networks.Thanks again.

born_again

While I get your point. Just how would a pager work, if a mobile phone will not?

Alderbank

born_again said:

While I get your point. Just how would a pager work, if a mobile phone will not?

Good question.
They work on much lower frequency radio waves than mobile networks. They date from long before the cellular network of masts was set up. They are independent of the mobile system so work even if the mobile network has crashed and they give almost 100% coverage everywhere including in buildings, in remote areas, underground in tunnels, caves and mines, etc.

Seem ideal for just what the OP needs. Here is an example of the service available: 
https://www.pagers.co.uk/

Misslayed

Do you think this question might get more responses on the 'Techie' board? I could ask the forum team to move it. 

DippyEggy

If the hospital can’t reach you after a few attempts, they are likely to send the police to you.

I speak from family experience, although this was in the late 90s. The hospital couldn’t reach my mother, as I’d accidentally knocked out the landline phone plug when cleaning, and so whilst the number was ringing out to the hospital no-one was answering as it wasn’t ringing in the house. The police rocked up at 4am and woke us up, telling my mum she needed to make contact with the transplant team.