John Leech MP calls for cheaper phone calls for Hospital patients

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 27th Jun 2006

John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, is backing a report from the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health which calls for the cost of phone calls to and from patients' bedsides in hospitals to be cut.

The report found that 88% of patients and relatives surveyed rated the cost of inbound calls to these phones as expensive or very expensive and in some cases as causing real hardship.

John Leech has signed a parliamentary motion, Early Day Motion 2161 "Fairtalk Survey by PPI Forums on Hospital Bedside Telephone Systems". This motion calls on the government to take the reports findings into account when awarding or reviewing contracts for the provision of bedside phone systems in hospitals.

John Leech MP said:

"Bedside telephone systems, such as that being installed at the MRI and that already completed at Wythenshawe Hospital are to be welcomed for the convenience they allow patients and their relatives and friends. However, it is clear from this report that the cost of calls to these phones is adversely impacting on many patients and their relatives at a very stressful and vulnerable time. The government should act on this report to lower the cost of these calls in future"

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Early Day Motion 2161

FAIRTALK SURVEY BY PPI FORUMS ON HOSPITAL BEDSIDE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS

12.05.2006

That this House recognises the concerns expressed by many hon. Members and others about the high cost of incoming calls to hospital bedside telephones provided by Patient-line, Premier and Hospital Telephone Services; warmly welcomes the Fairtalk survey carried out by Patient and Public Involvement forums across England which covered 40 per cent. of all hospitals using these services and questioned 1,255 patients and members of the public, a much larger sample than previously surveyed; notes that in 88 per cent. of cases people surveyed rated the cost of inbound calls as expensive or very expensive and in some cases as causing real hardship, and that 80 per cent. were not aware of any areas within hospitals where they could use a mobile phone; and calls on the Government to ensure these findings are taken into full account during the current review of the use of mobile phones in hospitals and when awarding or reviewing the contracts to the providers of bedside telephone systems.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health Website:

www.cppih.org