Hospital TV rip off

[Chris_Sleeps 10]

Ok just food then, you're not buying food for yourself, buy TV.

Keep that idea and I'm sure someone will be along to privatise the hospital food too. "You can have gruel, bread and water; or a choice off our fine menu for £5 a meal."

 

Food is a luxury, you know.

The money has to come from somewhere in the hospital budget, where would you cut it from?

From the specific layer of management that are looking around at what next they can sell off.

[sheffandy 33]

I didn't say I witnessed it did I!

It's only been 12 weeks since the last case anyway , mind you it has the worst record for CDiff for a hospital of that size.

Check the NHS website.

 

thought your concern was MRSA? Like I said if there was so much of it "floating around", you would have seen patients isolated as a precaution till swabbing results arrived back on the ward. But no, you're such a healthcare setting expert you just wade right in and assume.

[Tracy2k8 10]

Yes TV could be classed as a 'luxury item' and correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't read a single post where anyone has said it should be FREE. The title of the thread simply says it's a rip off and should be cheaper.

 

You telling me that you agree with every penny you spend? eg, car insurance, fuel costs, phone bills, holidays etc etc? And if your going to tell me you do your either lying or your one of the lucky ones and have so much money that it doesn't matter.

 

Just for curiosity, have you ever had a lengthy stay in hospital?

 

Nothing to say then SUPER HANS? Could I ask are you a smoker?

[Super Hans 10]

Nothing to say then SUPER HANS? Could I ask are you a smoker?

 

No I'm not a smoker, smokers are disgusting.

 

No I've never been to hospital.

 

The charge is what it is, I assume it's privatised so that takes pressure off the NHS having to fund it and costing for maintenance etc.

 

If I was in hospital I'd be thankful that the things treating me were bought by the NHS and not a TV.

 

I'm not saying that I'm happy about the price of all the services I need, but that's the thing, I need them.

 

The NHS doesn't need yet another headache making sure you get free/cheap TV. It's the prices set by the company, they're doing you a service, you don't need it, as I said before...if you pay £35 you get 13 days. So the money you've saved on feeding yourself you can use to watch TV in bed all day.

 

You're meant to be resting in hospital anyway, get to sleep don't watch TV.

[Tracy2k8 10]

No I'm not a smoker, smokers are disgusting.

 

No I've never been to hospital.

 

The charge is what it is, I assume it's privatised so that takes pressure off the NHS having to fund it and costing for maintenance etc.

 

If I was in hospital I'd be thankful that the things treating me were bought by the NHS and not a TV.

 

I'm not saying that I'm happy about the price of all the services I need, but that's the thing, I need them.

 

The NHS doesn't need yet another headache making sure you get free/cheap TV. It's the prices set by the company, they're doing you a service, you don't need it, as I said before...if you pay £35 you get 13 days. So the money you've saved on feeding yourself you can use to watch TV in bed all day.

 

You're meant to be resting in hospital anyway, get to sleep don't watch TV.

 

Oh what a perfect life you lead. But while your on your soap box again I think you should read and take in what people are saying. Again, I don't recall anyone saying the NHS should pay for the TV's. It's a private company that, as everyone has said are the ones responsible for ripping us off.

 

However, if you want to talk about wasted money. About 11/12 years ago the Jessops hospital closed and the Gyne ward moved to the Hallamshire over 4 wards. All wards were refurbished and every bay and room had huge brand new tv's including the communal/TV rooms. Then 4 months later they were all taken out for the bedside TV's to be installed. And what happened to the 4mth old TV's? They all got took down to the basement to rot and up to a yr or so ago they were still there.

 

Can I always say its easy for you to pass judgement on other people (re TV's) but if you've not had to stay in hospital then you don't know what its like and should keep your opinions to yourself.

[bicpm 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.

 

 

Actually. The boiler room is a very interesting place to look at. It's an extremely sophisticated piece of kit. More complex than any TV system

[monkey104 10]

thought your concern was MRSA? Like I said if there was so much of it "floating around", you would have seen patients isolated as a precaution till swabbing results arrived back on the ward. But no, you're such a healthcare setting expert you just wade right in and assume.

 

No I'm not concerned about MRSA, I haven't seen patients isolated and I made no assumptions, I read the info of the NHS website, Dick!

[pottedplant 10]

I agree, free healthcare, free food, free bed, free people running around after you.

 

TV is a luxury item in a hospital and I really don't see why people think it must be free, when it's not necessary and it costs the hospital money.

 

Would people rather the NHS not spend money on life saving equipment just so they can get a bit of free telly in bed?

 

Free bed - yes.

Healthcare - dubious at times

Free food - nope unless mush is acceptable - most patients have family bring in food nowadays

People running around after you - presume you mean family?

 

---------- Post added 29-12-2012 at 17:15 ----------

 

I never said TVs made people better. I said higher morale helps people heal quicker, and get out of hospital quicker. I'll go beyond tv. I think it would be of benefit to people to have entertainment in the wards, and pet therapy (wherever possible), and good food.

 

Yet again, I never said that. You're not attacking what I said, but making your own arguments up.

 

A beautiful choice of words. You think it'll cost billions of pounds to "spunk" a tv up a wall?

 

Agree with all you say here.

 

---------- Post added 29-12-2012 at 17:19 ----------

 

Right, so if TV does make people heal quicker then they can use the money they saved not having to heat/electrify their home or feed themselves and spend it on hospital TV.

 

It would be a huge issue for me if the doctor came and said "Yeah hi Super Hans you're having the leg amputated today, we can't afford any morphine or anesthetic though so you'll feel everything, pass me the chainsaw. BTW are you enjoying the free TV?".

 

There are no savings on heating if the patient shares a home.

 

There are often increased costs in food when people are in hospital.

[pumas 11]

my husband as been in ngh for 5 days upto now and we paid £10.00 yesterday for the tv for him for 24hrs but goes off today its to expensive and he can only get the normal channels as well nothing extra.

[westhamexcil 10]

I have spent a lot of time in RHH over the past 3 years on different wards and totally agree that the cost of the TV/Phone packages is a Rip Off. I cannot see what the answer is ....... It odd saying take in your IPod or Laptop to watch TV because on a lot of the wards I was on (N1 for example) we were not allowed to have our phones or other electrical devices because it may interfere with the medical equipment, so the hospital have patients over a barrel really?Please do not say read a book, as I am partially sighted and I could not even take in my talking book reader as it was deemed an electrical device that may interfere with medical equipment.

I know we are in hospital because we are ill and are there to get better, but the days (and nights) are very long and listening to TV often helps to pass the time.

So the moral of this story is please check with your ward before making plans to take laptops and IPads in, as I know from first hand experience it is not always possible to use them at your bedside.

[sheffandy 33]

No I'm not concerned about MRSA, I haven't seen patients isolated and I made no assumptions, I read the info of the NHS website, Dick!

 

Erm, firstly you brought up MRSA, not me.

Secondly, no need to be offensive on a family friendly forum.

You sound a right charmer, glad I'm not stuck next to you in a hospital bed....

[Fudbeer 12]

I have spent a lot of time in RHH over the past 3 years on different wards and totally agree that the cost of the TV/Phone packages is a Rip Off. I cannot see what the answer is ....... It odd saying take in your IPod or Laptop to watch TV because on a lot of the wards I was on (N1 for example) we were not allowed to have our phones or other electrical devices because it may interfere with the medical equipment, so the hospital have patients over a barrel really?Please do not say read a book, as I am partially sighted and I could not even take in my talking book reader as it was deemed an electrical device that may interfere with medical equipment.

I know we are in hospital because we are ill and are there to get better, but the days (and nights) are very long and listening to TV often helps to pass the time.

So the moral of this story is please check with your ward before making plans to take laptops and IPads in, as I know from first hand experience it is not always possible to use them at your bedside.

 

Good points well made.

 

While I agree that money should not be diverted to provide tv equitment I just think the current system does not work.

 

From memory before we had the current system many wards had their own tv and while I agree its not ideal its better than nothing.

 

Think the current system may be over complicated offering to many features,internrt pay per view phone on every bed ect.

 

Could a non profit set up not come up with just a standard tv with free view channels for a small anount per day to cover costs?

 

The price of 15" tv's has dropped massively and all you would then need would be an airiel feed and maintanance.