Bunch of con men

jaysay · 23-06-2010, 10:44

TV costs for Blackburn and Burnley patients criticised (From Lancashire Telegraph)
The bedside TV is an improvement for patients, especially if your in for a over a week, but the cost is extortionate to say the least, the last few times I've been in I found it does help to pass the time, especially when your in a side ward like I was, but the price is OTT, when I first used it it was £3 a day £7 for 3 days or £10 for 5 days, then they knocked of the £10 for five days, the last the twice I was in it cost me around £45 for a 10 day and 12 day stay, if only I'd have thought of this idea of ripping of the sick I'd now be a wealthy man

Wynonie Harris · 23-06-2010, 11:33

One of respondents on the LT website has hit the nail right on the head. Take the TVs and similar equipment out of the prisons and give them to the hospitals.

Barrie Yates · 23-06-2010, 16:57

Do these charges apply if you take your own portable TV in with you?

DaveinGermany · 23-06-2010, 17:56

Don't think you can Barrie, I believe it was flashy a while back talking about taking her laptop in, but it & other electrical goods weren't allowed on account of them not being certified to work on wards without interfering with medical equipment.

Or at least something along those lines.

jaysay · 24-06-2010, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

Do these charges apply if you take your own portable TV in with you?

Can't do it Barrie, I know I've inquired

mind you the concept is good, as any one will testify who spent time in hospital in the old days of TV lounges, and the wheelie payphone. Its great just to be able to watch TV at your bed, the phone doesn't bother me I just do what our commonwealth brethren do whilst in hospital, use my mobile

If only the payment was fair it would be a great service for patients

archiveuk · 24-06-2010, 10:50

I agree, the charges are very high !!!

Neil · 24-06-2010, 11:48

I used my laptop in hospital when I spent a couple of days and a night there with Tom. I used my Vodafone dongle for the internet and charged it when needed by plugging it into the wall. I took Rhonda her phone charger so she could charge her phone as well. I can charge mine from my laptop so did not bother with my phone charger.

Tom was sat in bed using the laptop playing his internet games as well.

accyman · 25-06-2010, 01:08

iv taken my laptop in and used it with no hassle although i was told on one occasion that it woudl have to be checked out by tehir electritian to make sure it was safe to use and not going to cause a fire or anything.

the hospitals deal isnt as bad as its been made out to be you dont just get tv you get internet on the tv screen and all local phone calls free as well to landlines within a certain area which at queens park hospital included 01254 numbers and a few others i cant recal.

£10 for 5 days unlimited landline calls ,tv and internet isnt bad because i remember before these were installed how much i spent on the payphone and also having to wait for it to become free as there was only 1 on each ward which you had to either drag to your bed or have someone fetch it for you if they had time

jaysay · 25-06-2010, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

iv taken my laptop in and used it with no hassle although i was told on one occasion that it woudl have to be checked out by tehir electritian to make sure it was safe to use and not going to cause a fire or anything.

the hospitals deal isnt as bad as its been made out to be you dont just get tv you get internet on the tv screen and all local phone calls free as well to landlines within a certain area which at queens park hospital included 01254 numbers and a few others i cant recal.

£10 for 5 days unlimited landline calls ,tv and internet isnt bad because i remember before these were installed how much i spent on the payphone and also having to wait for it to become free as there was only 1 on each ward which you had to either drag to your bed or have someone fetch it for you if they had time

The unlimited phone calls must have come in since I was in last October, you got £1 of calls with every £7 you put on the TV. you also got TV credits if you got people to phone your bedside number at 49 pence per minute and they had taken away the 5 days for £10 which was in operation the year before, I was in twice for about a total of 22 days last back end and it cost around £42

accyman · 25-06-2010, 11:42

it seems they have improved their rates and its probably due to people kicking up a fuss.One bad thing about the servive is that the keyboard for the internet opens up from teh phone handset and the elderly could struggle with teh small keys and the mouse navigator is a tiny joystick which even my kids struggled with.A lot of sites like flash game sites and youtube are blocked but i had no problems accessing forums,paypal and ebay etc

i hear porn sites are blocked too but i didnt try looking at them ( honest lol )

jaysay · 25-06-2010, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

it seems they have improved their rates and its probably due to people kicking up a fuss.One bad thing about the servive is that the keyboard for the internet opens up from teh phone handset and the elderly could struggle with teh small keys and the mouse navigator is a tiny joystick which even my kids struggled with.A lot of sites like flash game sites and youtube are blocked but i had no problems accessing forums,paypal and ebay etc

i hear porn sites are blocked too but i didnt try looking at them ( honest lol )

Ya reght

Ken Moss · 25-06-2010, 16:00

I've had the pleasure of several extended stays in the Hotel NHS over the past 12 months and it was interesting to note that not a single person was using the overhead TV things. I later found out that the company had gone into administration, although this may no longer be the case from what you're saying.

It was a vastly extortionate system which is why I didn't use it but there was no problem with me using a mobile and I took a CD player in and it was never questioned.

There was also my trusty library of books to keep me going. They don't interfere with equipment but the health and safety boys haven't cottoned on about the potential charges...er, risks that they could cause.

accyman · 25-06-2010, 16:33

my last stay was in april so the new company may have taken over by then but a tenners worth kept me from severe boardom and i also managed to ring my friends up to bring me my akash curry in and variousl other goodies as the hospital food was awfull lol

Mancie · 25-06-2010, 23:22

If your in for more than a couple of days the TV becomes essential.. another thing I noticed last year was radio 5 sports was not included in the package.. so no football coverage.
Like has been said I also paid over 40 quid for about 10 days TV with very limited channels...the "free internet" is only useful to read e.mails..the charges for out going calls has improved but for family/friends incalling it is a rip off.

accyman · 27-06-2010, 13:32

yup never use the phone number they issue you with its best if friends text you then you ring them up on their landline