Hospital TV rip off

[byeo 10]

You do not need a tv to aid recovery.

I was in hospital a few years ago and there was a tv in the ward, it drove me mad!

It was on all day with its constant noise.

At least with the system they have now, headphones can be used.

Pay it or don't pay it and concentrate on getting better.

 

Maybe people want to watch t.v to make the day seem less of a struggle and the t.v actually takes their mind off the pain they are in ?

 

Maybe next time you're in hospital you should request the boiler room to stay in ? No t.v and a lovely wall to look at for those short 24 hours.

[drthorne1 10]

My wife was is hospital for minor surgery at the time and I purchased a TV card for her over the days that she was in.

 

The NHS is their to treat patients and I for one have no problems about paying for the TV card considering all the rest of the treatment was FREE!

 

I can understand if people cannot afford the cost to watch TV but surely getting better is the main priority, and their are plenty of other ways to keep distracted and busy! The NHS is trying to find other ways to make money and as long as the quality of care is not effected I for one could not give a flying monkeys about the TV

[francypants 441]

Isn't it a private company who run the tv's ?

[truman 10]

If you think the tv is too expensive then don't use it....it really is easy...

[jza80 10]

how much do you think it cost to put that in place? and % the hospital is getting? if you cant afford it read the newspaper, only 50p and will take 10 minutes to finish

 

A gold Rolex is £4000+ doesn't you have to buy it

Edited December 20, 2012 by jza80

[monkey104 10]

Maybe people want to watch t.v to make the day seem less of a struggle and the t.v actually takes their mind off the pain they are in ?

 

Maybe next time you're in hospital you should request the boiler room to stay in ? No t.v and a lovely wall to look at for those short 24 hours.

 

IF you had read my post correctly you would have realised I was in hospital!

And I was in a lot of pain but the constant, inane chatter from the tv was making me feel like crap.

It was a comment made from experience, was yours?

[byeo 10]

IF you had read my post correctly you would have realised I was in hospital!

And I was in a lot of pain but the constant, inane chatter from the tv was making me feel like crap.

It was a comment made from experience, was yours?

 

I read it, which is why i said:-

 

"Maybe next time you're in hospital you should request the boiler room to stay in ? No t.v and a lovely wall to look at for those short 24 hours."

 

I still stand by what i said, doing something (watching tv) to take you're mind off the pain helps. If it does not work for you then re-read my previous reply...

[Bypassblade 10]

A completely typical daily mail article which seems to forget the fact taht prisoners dont have any income other than their nominal prison wages.

 

Sorry but going to prison is a bloody punishment, not a chuffin luxury...they should get sod all they forfeited their liberty through stupidity or heinous crimes. People are in hospital out of necessity, but are ripped off left, right, and centre.:rant:

[Evei 10]

I was recently in Hallamshire. No one bothered with the TV's. To be honest I think everyone was too out of it and knackered to bother, I know watching TV was the last thing on my mind. They staff were wonderful though and the treatment fab. A week or so of no TV is not going to harm. Yes the price is high but you don't have to have it.

 

It always makes me laugh that they have a TV on with subtitles on in the eye clinic waiting room....I'm not sure anyone waiting can actually see it properly!

 

More seriously, I hope the Op father starts to feel better soon.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Evei

[monkey104 10]

I read it, which is why i said:-

 

"Maybe next time you're in hospital you should request the boiler room to stay in ? No t.v and a lovely wall to look at for those short 24 hours."

 

I still stand by what i said, doing something (watching tv) to take you're mind off the pain helps. If it does not work for you then re-read my previous reply...

 

Do they allow you to stay in the boiler room?

Bit of a nonsensical comment really wasn't it, mind you there may be less MRSA floating about.

If you are really in pain tv is the last thing you want, trust me.

They can charge as much as they like for all I care, so long as they only work on headphones.

[byeo 10]

Do they allow you to stay in the boiler room?

Bit of a nonsensical comment really wasn't it, mind you there may be less MRSA floating about.

If you are really in pain tv is the last thing you want, trust me.

They can charge as much as they like for all I care, so long as they only work on headphones.

 

I guess it depends on who and what pain you have weather or not tv is the last thing you want...

[_BLADESMAN_ 10]

From my OH -

 

I have been an in/out patient over the last 14 years, the last 8 more regular and the last 4 being in every 6-8 weeks for 2-3 wks at a time. At time I have been in for 2wks, home for few days then bk in for a wk or so. Being in this amount of time is extremely difficult to cope with and yes I agree that the TV service is well over priced but I couldn't be in hospital for the time I am without it.

 

And no that's not because I can't bare to miss Jereme Kyle or know whats happening in Coronation Street but because there's only so long you can spend reading a book (though difficult to concentrate on), doing wordsearch or as I always do - play on my DS.

 

There are many for and against arguments to be had -

 

For - Occupies your mind, aiding your recovery. Many patients don't have visitors so watching the tv in hospital (as it is said at home) is 'company'.

 

The cost is a huge factor and I agree it should be cheaper. As a regular patient I am classed as a 'long term patient' an if I pay for 10 days currently £35 (value pack) I get 1 free day for every £10 I spend. (£35 then = 13 days). IF I go home before the 13 days or if I put extra days on but dont use them all then I can save them till the nxt admission. . . I'm not sure if it's the case now but if you have to stay over 30 days and you contact them, your service becomes free of charge until you leave.

 

Against - Obviously the cost. As soon as you pay for the TV your time runs even if you turn your unit off when not watching. Service, It can take forever to get through to the operator and over the last 2 years they have cut the staff (on site) so much that there is now 4 staff to work hallamshire and northern gen. at the same time. Choice of channel, You get BBC 1,2. ITV 1. CHL 4,5. You then get some but NOT all free channels. Kids films and 2 or 4 film channels depending on the package*. They don't offer what they say they do.

 

*Packages - 3 Hourly, I think this is £3.50 although the smallest card you can buy is for £5.

 

24hrs , 3 days, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days - The cost of the larger bundles depends on if you want the tv package you choose, each package offers unlimited outgoing calls to *landlines, but people phoning in to wards are charged 42p - 50p a min. They also offer free internet, I have been on several wards and am yet to find the internet to work or IF it does it can take at least 5-15 to load a single page with poor controls on the back of the TV remote. As for the free games, I had a computer in the 80s (with a tape recorder to upload them) that was quicker and better graphic's.

 

VALUE PK - 21 chnl's inc. 3 Film channels. You actually get 14 tv, 1 kids Films (4-5 video's on a loop chosen by Hospedia) 2 Film (again 5-6 vid's on loop chosen by Hospedia) The video's they are showing have been the same films for the last 6+ months. For 10 days this is £35

 

PREMIUM PK - 32 Chnl's inc. 5 film. This is actually the same as the value pk apart from an extra 2 film channels, sorry video's on loop, that again have been the same for months with maybe the odd exception. For 10 days this is £45, 20 days £65.

 

I'd also like to add to a couple of the comments posted earlier -

 

Someone mentioned about taking a phone, Ipod, Ipad or laptop etc. A lot of wards don't allow you to use these in hospital, either for disruption to equipment or because of theft's (I have been a victim of this myself).

 

There was also a post saying something about if your in hospital your saving money or still getting benefit while being taken care of and fed etc. I'm sorry but everytime I am in hospital I still have the same family bills etc to pay for as if I was at home, but we then have added travel/parking costs to pay. Because of my illness I am unable to work and HAVE to claim benefits but if I am in hospital for 21 days out of the month (Either continuous or broken) I loose any benefits I claim for.