Hospital Televisions

[Fran]

Raigmore hospital,Inverness, has followed Edinburgh by installing individual patients televisions costing patients £3.50 per day. These televisions have internet facilities and also a private phone, but the patients has to pay for INCOMING calls as well as outgoing calls.

Although this is very handy for a person away from home, will patients be prepared to pay for this "luxury". There will still be a television for patients in the day rooms.

This may also be coming to Caithness General Hospital in the near future. It would be interesting to see if Caithness people are agreeable with this idea or not. What do you think?????????? Would you be prepared to pay £24 for this service if you were in hospital for a week???

[katarina]

Would be hand for those from the north who have to go to invewrness - thus not getting many visitors. But I know last time i was in hospital, I just wasn't interested in TV.

[2little2late]

It isn't just television they also have the internet and your own personal telephone so people can phone you or you can phone them whenever you like. You can even order your meals from them. So for £3.50 it's quite a good deal.

[jay]

thought the whole idea of a national health service was that everyone should be treated equally - not special services for those who can afford it

[kenimac1]

My son used to work on the helpline for patientline in Dumfries and their instructions were to sell as many services as they could to the sick...whether they needed them or not!

[macc]

I think its a great idea. Having stayed in hospital a lot over the last few months with my son, it would be handy to of had a direct dial to us, instead of having to go outside in the cold with a mobile or spend a fortune in calls from a payphone. It would also of given family peace of mind rather than them pacing waiting for a call. So hopefully when we go back next week the system will be up and working.

[Drutt]

I also think it's a great idea. Too many people would complain if non-essential services like these were paid for by the NHS, but it is helpful for people to have the option, should they wish to pay for it.

[squidge]

I had a rather lengthy stay in hospital in 2000. Once i was well enough to watch tv i would have liked my own little set i think - and to have the interent well what more could a sick squidge want. To be in hospital for another six weeks without my beloved CCWS - well how would i ever recover.

On a serious note the ability to have direct calls would be great especially if you are away from home. I was in Raigmore with few visitors and to be able to chat on the phone would have been a real comfort. I was so lonely at times I used to cry, although the lassies on the ward were lovely they changed and I missed my family. I think that out of the six weeks i was in hospital i would have paid for it for about three of those weeks. Being in as an antenatal patient i would have paid for it too. Theres nothing worse than weeks in hosital pregnant and bored.

It is however important that this is avaiable as widely as possible and I am not sure how that happens. People on low incomes and benefits need to have access to this too and £24 a week is a lot to find out of a benefit cheque