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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think £7.90 per day for TV in hospital is ridiculous

136 replies

UltimateWednesday · 07/07/2020 17:39

How do they justify this? What "costs" does it cover? Just for freeview TV, no WiFI or cable channels.

OP posts:

jessycake · 07/07/2020 18:26

Our local hospital has mainly abandoned these as most people use th hospital wi fi and ipads

lyralalala · 07/07/2020 18:26

I hope the hospitals where it was made free during the start of the Covid/no visitor issue extend that scheme

moolaalaa · 07/07/2020 18:27

You get first class healthcare for free and complain that they dont have free TV or Wifi? Bore off.

Mightymurphy · 07/07/2020 18:29

Agreed moolalala.

WaxOnFeckOff · 07/07/2020 18:30

Just googled and see that they gave 1 years notice to scrap charges back in Sept. £5 for two hours or £17.50 for two days.

They now have wifi but this would have been of limited use to my DM as she wasn't tech savvy and we would have had to buy her a device she probably couldn't work. She was also isolated due to infection so it was very hard on her. Not even a view :(

Original poster

UltimateWednesday · 07/07/2020 18:30

We don't "get it for free"

OP posts:

TotallyKerplunked · 07/07/2020 18:32

When I was stuck on the childrens ward with DS2 for 2 weeks I caved and paid for it as I was bored and couldn't go anywhere (I was confined to the room with DS2 as he was contagious and I had a rubbish phone signal).

It wasn't til after I paid that I found out that the TVs on the childrens ward were limited so you could watch CBeebies and a few kids films and nothing else!!! Nothing else allowed in case the kids watched it, DS2 was 12 weeks, not sure he cared if I was watching the news. I had a devil of a time trying to get a refund.

WaxOnFeckOff · 07/07/2020 18:32

You get first class healthcare for free and complain that they dont have free TV or Wifi? Bore off.

have some fucking compassion. fair enough if you are in for a couple of days but you are okay for folk in poverty/long stay patients to stare at a wall for months then are you?

Christ there are some selfish arsehole fuckwits in the world.

IHaveBrilloHair · 07/07/2020 18:33

Oh piss off Moolaalaa.
Hospital is shit, having TV makes its at least a firmer shit.

WaxOnFeckOff · 07/07/2020 18:34

The money is also not going in to the NHS, it's going to profiteering companies that our lovely governments allowed to build hospitals and make profit from them.

gotothecooler · 07/07/2020 18:36

@Ellmau

Surely in most people could use their phone?

What about charging?

Most people also have a phone charger, so they plug it in, just like at home.

Original poster

UltimateWednesday · 07/07/2020 18:38

FWIW I'd have no issue covering a sensible cost but how can that possibly be the actual cost?

OP posts:

Itsjustabitofbanter · 07/07/2020 18:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

notangelinajolie · 07/07/2020 18:39

Some tv channels were free when I was in hospital recently. I didn't watch it because I didn't wan't to annoy the other patients and to be honest I felt too rough to be concentrating on anything much. But I did use the free wifi which was a Godsend.

In answer to the OP yes, I do think hospital tv is very expensive. Not sure what the hospital can do about it though because I think the service is provided by an outside company.

WaxOnFeckOff · 07/07/2020 18:41

Again, many elderly people don't have a phone never mind a smart phone and/or no contract to run it if there is no wifi either.

Sometimes people get admitted with what they are standing in, don't know about you but I don't have a charger in my pocket. They may live alone or be taken to a hospital that any family find difficult to access quickly.

Can people seriously not think about anyone not fitting into their own situation?

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 07/07/2020 18:49

Yes of course it’s a ridiculous cost, so is the parking- I try and think ok the care is “free”, the medication and food is free so it is what it is. In years to come no one will watch the tv

moolaalaa · 07/07/2020 18:50

"Christ there are some selfish arsehole fuckwits in the world."

Says somebody who expects free TV/wifi when the organisation is stuggling to finance the healthcare.

Oh the irony.

tallrachel · 07/07/2020 18:52

"The money is also not going in to the NHS, it's going to profiteering companies that our lovely governments allowed to build hospitals and make profit from them."

Right yes okay. So who then are you expecting to provide these free services of wifi and television? ir not the NHS?

diddl · 07/07/2020 18:53

Unless it's to aid recovery, I can't see why it should be provided free!

How long before you/someone could take them a phone/tablet or whatever, Op?

Original poster

UltimateWednesday · 07/07/2020 18:56

I've never said I expect it free, I just think it's more expensive than it should be
As DH was only in for a couple if days it's neither here or there for us but I was thinking of others, people for whom a spell in hospital has affected their income, for example.

OP posts:

WaxOnFeckOff · 07/07/2020 18:59

Says somebody who expects free TV/wifi when the organisation is stuggling to finance the healthcare.

The TVs are already there and the therefore the cost is a tv licence and there is no benefit given to the NHS. They could charge 50p a week and cover the costs.

So where is the irony? Try thinking about other people.

diddl · 07/07/2020 19:00

"but I was thinking of others, people for whom a spell in hospital has affected their income, for example."

But then they surely don't use it?

I wonder for how many people when in hospital, it's important to be able to watch TV?

NoMoreReluctantCustodians · 07/07/2020 19:00

Can people stop saying the NHS is free? It's free at the point of use. Which is completely different.

And nobody should be profiteering off the back of sick people

AuntyPasta · 07/07/2020 19:02

The money is also not going in to the NHS, it's going to profiteering companies that our lovely governments allowed to build hospitals and make profit from them.

Successive governments have totally fucked up ‘public-private partnership.’ It is possible to draw up contracts that allow for a profit to be made but cap the size of that profit and/or guarantee service levels. Apparently government lawyers don’t know this or they’re overruled by politicians.

OllyBJolly · 07/07/2020 19:03

My issue isn't that it had to be paid for. I was angry that someone without mental capacity (like most inpatients - very sick and on medication) was subjected to a hard sell phone call to "upgrade her package". Had I not noticed the payment, I wouldn't have called the company to check what it was for. She had signed up to a film and sports package for two weeks. Yes, they would refund if she was discharged before then but she would never have remembered. (Also if the patient moves bed they have to notify the provider). I got the hard sell - pay for the sports and add on the movies for only £2 more per day!

The upside is that the firm pays the hospital so money does come in to the NHS and because it's a private company, the clinical staff don't have to get involved when something isn't working.

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