Tv / WiFi in hospital prices - covid changes

[Organisedchaos2022]

We spend a lot of time in hospital with DD on childrens ward. The tv had always been costly at nearly 8.00 for 24 hours on all wards.
Apart from children we did get it free certain times after these times to watch movies on the tv it was 8.00 a day.
To her WiFi premium which is the one you need to be able to stream also costs 7.95.
During covid there made all of these free which was tad confusing as there is always people isolated in cubicles not sure why covid was a reason to all of a sudden care.
AIBU to think this could be something they permanently change ?

Well, no. It’s nice they’ve done it through covid, when there’s no visitors allowed-it’s going to be a long day with nothing to do or people to talk to.
But these things are costly and the NHS is cash strapped as it is. Honestly, is free at the point of care treatment not enough? Why should the NHS pay for entertainment too. Especially when hospital staff have to pay through the nose for the privilege to park at work and to keep their registration and enable them to do their job.

The wife and tvs are not owned by the hospital, its a private business.
Wouldn't be a very good business if they provided everything for free..but agree they are expensive

@Summersun2020 the children are left with nothing to do for hours on end to don’t think there’s a way that it can be made easier ?

this is a service not offered by the nhs though.

it's a profit making company? they probably wanted people to get used to having it, then wanting to continue, for profit.

they exist to make profit and free periods will be part of their user acquisition planning.

if you want it, pay for it. if you can think of a model where it's free, suggest it to them. sorry. (example: my local gp hub has free wifi for 15mins, anything longer you pay for, which is great for us. it's a commercial company, but useful if you just need to check emails or whatever)

I also don’t agree with the cost of nursing registration either.

Nope it shouldn’t be free it’s nice to have but it’s not a necessity in hospital. In my hospital the WiFi is free all day and the tv is free from 8.00am- 12.00pm after that if you want to watch it you pay. I’ve paid £10 a day before and that’s for all tv channels and loads of movies. I know my hospital charge £20 for 3 days . And do more offers the longer your in there.

You want it pay for it ?
Is easier said than done when it’s a long term ward with very chronically ill children in it. As well as 10.00 for 24 hour parking plus food expensives and the over inflated expensive cafes. Plus then having to pay 8-16.00 a day to keep a child entertained who is stuck in bed it isn’t always that easy for many.

Books, boards games, colouring in, puzzles, portable DVD player. I say this as a parent who’s spend significant time with my kid in hospital.
This is a private service and would come as a huge cost to the NHS. Honestly I just think people’s expectations are through the roof-just be grateful.

I was once in hospital for 6 weeks and spent so much money on TV for me and parking charges for DH! But still got "free" bed and board and medical care for 6 weeks so didn't complain.

Maybe this is something that people would be happy to fundraise for, particularly in children's wards? I don't think the NHS should be paying for it.

Why did covid change it though ? Why does covid change any of that ?

If you're there a lot can't you get an unlimited data aim (quite cheap now) and use that to stream? The NHS is a healthcare provider in the bones of it's arse in terms of funding so contexts like this are outsourced to private profit making companies

I should add I am very very thankful for the nhs so please don’t suggest otherwise I also fundraiser a huge amount for a trust.
It’s just very sad ( not us in particular ) but other children I meet who just don’t have anything the average admission on our ward is 18 months to 2 years.

Covid changes it because of no visitor policy, lots more people in for longer stays etc , people who usually pay to use the service aren't in for very long, if you make it free for all it's mainly short term patients who benefit as there are far fewer long term patients usually.

@Organisedchaos2022

Why did covid change it though ? Why does covid change any of that ?

Because with COVID, visitor numbers are limited, as is presumably, access to communal books etc.

How do you expect the NHS to fund all this stuff you want for free on a permanent basis?

It doesn’t necessarily need to be funded in the sense of costing 8.00
Per day per patient for the NHS.
I’m just sure there is a cheaper way that using over priced outside services.

Ultimately someone has to pay for it and I would much prefer it didn't come out of the NHS budget. Waiting lists are already so long, the health service doesn't need the addition of this cost on top.

It was temporarily suspended in some trusts as a gesture since visitors weren't permitted and patients were bored and alone. After restrictions are eased in hospitals this argument isn't there.

@EachBleachBlairTrump but that’s not true there is loads of long term patients especially our hospital which the children speciality is generally at least 18 months before your allowed home.

Its completely free in the hospital I spend lots of time in.
Im in Scotland though if that makes a difference.

Your anecdata doesn't match the figures for hospital admissions, but as I said before an unmonitored data SIM is cheap and send an easy way forward for you.

What do you mean it doesn’t match ?
It depends on what is wrong with a patient
Due to the speciality of our hospital the patients then to be very long term patients.

FWIW my friend isn't entitled to IVF because her trust doesn't see the cost as necessary as she isn't over 40, so I really can't get on board with TV being a necessary public expense.

@IHaveBrilloHair that’s what I mean even I’d there was a cost it shouldn’t be costing 16.00 a day for WiFi and basic tv channels.
Per patient.
There has to be away to make it cheaper.

I do think the companies who run all this are taking the piss and am sure they could make it cheaper.
My dad was in hospital for a few weeks last summer. He had free TV between certain hours and calls to landlines were free (he is useless around using mobiles hence using that phone). I think wifi was free all day.
If I called him using my mobile it would have cost a fortune most if which went to the hospital phone/TV provider but I did add an option on my tariff for a couple of quid a month so I could at least have a chat with him.

When I've been in hospital before they just had a TV in the corner for everyone to watch.

When I've stayed in before I've taken an ipad with downloaded programmes on it so I don't nerd a TV or any wifi

@Vinorosso74 I know a lot of hospitals have free WiFi, I do think the charges are so over priced.