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

[UltimateWednesday]

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

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

I wouldn't have been bothered about a nominal fee and the tv equipment is already there. but £5 for 2 hours for people who may have very little and are confined to a room for months on end?

Believe me there is a lot of waste in the NHS that could pay for this and it would aid patient recovery , help with mental health etc.

Again, try thinking about people who aren't sitting with smart phones and tablets and endless data etc. Watching coronation street can be the highlight of someones day even if it isn't mine or yours.

Its important to me, I enjoy watching TV.

Can't imagine them being in business too much longer. More and more people have decent phones and contracts that allow them to stream whatever they want to see...

Well the one example that's close to my heart Wax, DH was admitted as an emergency with the clothes he stood in and spent 48 hours scared witless while he waited for them to decide which sort of cancer he has. Not so much as a book to distract him, is it OK with you that he needed a distraction.

Fuck me, most people in hospital are scared, about their health, if not about the financial situation that their absence from work might be creating. Do really have insuffient empathy to understand why a distraction might be needed?

Including Coronation Street! (Sorry WaxOn )
Im guessing lots of people posting having been in hospitals for long stints.

Again, I don't object to there being a cost but a cost significantly over and above any actual cost is profiteering from vulnerable people.

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

It's important for lots of people. It's important for mental health for long stay patients. My DM was in a room which had a window but faced a wall, in a side room by herself and unable to read, work a smart device and often unable to concentrate long or even get hold of staff. In the end she really wasn't up for tv and was moved temporarily to another hospital that did have free tv and I think just the voices in the background was a comfort. We visited as much as we could but we work full time and it was an hour and a half drive each way. So yes, people like that.

Sorry Wax, I've just realised you were quoting a PP

Hope your DH is faring ok now OP.

I haven't been overnight in hospital for some time but I certainly thought the charges were steep.

That's ok OP, I was sure that you weren't getting at me since I was agreeing with you

My mum has been in hospital since 2017, it’s better to not have the TVs so no one gets disturbed if in honest. Also the nhs is free, the TVs are an outside company or a donation goes to hospital charities.

I can see the benefits, but also the downsides.

As a pp said, if there were always headphones !

See, the thing is I would actually argue that £7.90 a night is incredibly good value for hospital care, if the TV money was going directly to the hospital. And I know the NHS isn't "free" but it is common in many countries to have to pay for hospital stays even if more expensive things (like your actual surgery or whatever) are covered.

The fact that private companies make money out of NHS patients via TVs, car parks, ridiculously marked up on site shops etc is really despicable IMO.

Indeeply sympathise, after spending prolonged time in hospital.
The tv rental co is taking advantage of helpless people (esp the elderly and those needing comfort of routine or back ground noise) who cannot use smart devices.
If you can use a smart phone/ipad. - download itv hub or bbc iplayer. Better selection on demand and just upgrade for unlimited wifi plan.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Not as many people probably subscribe what with iPads and subscription services. If I knew I was going into hospital I would download before going in.

I did a fairly long stint in hospital and got saddled with the one where only like 2 channels worked (and one of them was Dave so it was just endless QI for weeks on end). Our local hospital is in a right mobile reception dead spot when it comes to streaming stuff on a mobile connection, and if you pay for their wifi it blocks streaming services on that as well - it's pay for the bedside TV or nothing basically.

What tended to happen when I was in was that anyone getting discharged would pass their prepaid TV cards on to the other people still on the ward to spread the cost down a little bit at least.

The hospital I work on have taken them out. I don’t know what patients do now though.

Think it’s disgusting. My son was in hospital 6 times last year - thank god for the iPad and streaming online. I think it’s a disgrace.

When I was in for five days there were no TVs at all! Luckily I had my phone for entertainment once I'd recovered from emergency surgery. I had a private room too (because I had necrotising fasciitis not because I'm special!) Sonos not have been disturbing anyone.

I’m actually glad and hope all hospitals do this. I hate TV and when I was in hospital the TV watching of the people on my ward was unbelievably irritating. Anything that encourages quiet is perfect.

What about the food and drink costs for in patients? If someone is in hospital for a couple of weeks they are, presumably, fed and watered for no charge? If at home they would be feeding/paying for themselves. Not sure what is a fair charge for TV but the NHS is in dire straits financially.

Had this when dp was in hospital at the start of the year. Was admitted via a and e, so first 3 nights in that hospital where tvs were free

Then moved from that hospital to another one that doesn't have an attached a and e, used for longer stay people, where tv was extortionate. Cant remember the cost but it was about £8 or £9 a day i think.

Was surprised that it was so different between 2 hospitals in the one trust.

All the local hospitals around me and in other counties in the children wards the tv is free and you can also get free WiFi (we spent nearly a year in about 6 different hospitals due to dd.
Food was also decent as I had a pass for children's ward so got staff discount.

Ended up on a ward myself and they tried charging £25 for 72 hours! Which is a massive rip off - luckily I had downloaded loads on iPad!

Had another op this year but altho done through nhs was in a private hospital and didn't pay for any tv etc.

Prices are crazy when you have to pay though!

When my ds was in for 2 weeks we realised tv was free until 7

It wasn’t obvious

As it was a child unit they had a DVD player and consoles for him to use, we were on our own too so he had a very well equipped little pad :)

@dogsdinnerlady I’m sure the majority of people in hospital would otherwise be in work, whether that’s the patients themselves, or parents taking care of children or other relatives. And we’re specifically talking about the ridiculous tv charges, not hospital food which only amounts to around £2.61 per patient per day anyway