Hospital TV rip off

[BHRemovals 10]

get in touch wi patients rep and deman access to a tv

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

A very interesting observation.

 

Ironically, too, television in hospital is a lot more expensive than it is in prison. People can make of that what they will.

Hospital patients forced to pay £10 A DAY to watch TV when prisoners pay just £1 A WEEK

 

Hospital patients are being forced to fork out up to £10 a day to watch their favourite programmes - while prisoners pay just £1 a week to watch shows and films in their cells.

 

The cost of packages in some hospitals has more than doubled in six years, prompting a health watchdog to warn that expensive prices have put them out of the reach of the poorest patients needing care.

 

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

 

Most people in hospital will either have a salary, benefit, pension or other source of regular income.

 

Prisoners also have limited and controlled access to television and dont have a specifically installed individually controlled multimedia tv/internet/game/ system right at their bedside.

 

Its a little bit different.

 

If, as the feeling seems to be, that people clearly dont mind paying but just object to the so called "rip off" charges of UP TO £6.00 a day. What would be a fair price then?

 

Bear in mind that every patient is different and some could be in hospital for as little as 1 night.

[Brunette 10]

I can see both sides of this argument, but if the headlines were that the NHS is spending however-many millions on televisions, internet and phone lines for patients, while waiting lists for urgent operations grow longer and staff numbers are cut, surely that would be wrong? And the company running the equipment/scheme obviously need to pay for equipment, repairs, engineers AND make a profit, I'm not really surprised at the cost. It's sad, but that's the way life is.

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

I love how there seem to be parallels in the way people speak about prison inmates and hospital patients - "there to be treated / punished, not to watch telly", almost as if the ill should be on the same level as prisoners and anyone making their stay more comfortable is a malingerer wallowing in the luxuries of an NHS ward

 

 

Not the same. If you rent a TV set you have a choice of companies to rent from each with their own charges. Or you have the option to use your old set or buy a set. This doesn't apply so it's not quite the same thing. The problem is your choice is not "none, a b or c", it's "take it or leave it", and given that the options for things to do are limited, someone like me who doesn't watch much TV at all would probably feel driven up the wall by boredom enough to watch in hospital.

 

Charge a motorist for a service of parking facilities and it's "poor me, look at me being fleeced I'm just a cash cow" not "ah well, it's a service I can choose not to use if I so wish, and look at how much it cost to build". Give someone ill the same option and it's "put up or shut up"

 

Firstly they are trying to make your stay more comfortable by providing a bedside tv service at great outlay and investment. The alternative, as I have already pointed out, is what they used to have. A communal tv room.

 

I never said anything about "punishment" but lets not forget the reason why you are in hospital and what a hospital's priorities are. Watching tv it isnt. Nor is it a "human right" to demand one.

 

I agree with you that competition would be good and yes, you would have more than one supplier if you were renting a tv service. However, lets think of the logistics here. These are complex systems being installed that have to be individually fitted. It cannot be whipped up in a few minutes when the patient decides what operator. Like everything in the government - they can only realistically give you one supplier to choose from.

 

The point is - you have a choice of using it or not. nobody is forcing a patient to pay a mandatory TV charge. - that would be unfair.

 

In this day and age you can take a kindle, ipad, ipod, mp3 player, ninteno DS, smartphone, laptop, portable dvd player and even a good old fashioned book. Patients can borrow books, listen to hospital radio and talk to the befriending volunteers and hospital chaplins. Nobody is forced to sit there staring at the ceiling.

 

PS: I never said anything about motorists. I agree with you that parking facilities are a choice just like everything else. Pay the fee or dont. Nobody has a mandatory right to a free parking space. Nobody has a mandatory right to a free tv service.

[sand_dollars 10]

No, you are not allowed to take anything which needs to be plugged in, and when I was in there I couldn't even get radio reception from the ward I was in.

 

At least they do have the option of paying to watch TV. I was in for nearly 2 months without even having a TV in the day room.

 

I was in the Northern a few months ago and I took things in that had to be plugged in

[geared 303]

Funny thing is at home it's pretty much accepted that access to a TV and Sky is required for survival.

[sand_dollars 10]

Funny thing is at home it's pretty much accepted that access to a TV and Sky is required for survival.

 

Well I saw the price of it and I said hell no so I had my lappy fetched in and my ipad and watched films and on my iphone did my ebay so I was sorted no way would I pay those prices and anyone with a long stay in there should get it cheaper but thats my veiw on it

[monkey104 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.

[Venu 10]

No need to be harsh. Everybody had got their preference n I think they should be chraper or free britain is a wonderful place n im very grateful fot the nhs but them tvs are way over priced

[francypants 441]

People don't mind paying for a service.

 

What people don't like is BEING RIPPED OFF !!!

[Klorel 10]

It is absolute ripoff

Better to use tv in mobile...

[Venu 10]

Thats right francy pants