PTL Patientline

RNS Number:3338G
Patientline PLC
18 July 2006


                                PATIENTLINE plc

                        HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS
                         ON HOSPITAL TELEPHONE CHARGES

The Health Select Committee has today published a report on a broad range of
charges within the NHS, including those for bedside televisions and telephones
in hospitals. In its statement the Committee says:

     MPs conclude that the cost of incoming calls to hospital bedside 
     telephones is insupportable.

     'Those unable to visit friends and family in hospital now usually have 
     the possibility of telephoning loved ones' bedside telephones. 
     Unfortunately, they have often paid a high price to do so.

     'Incoming calls are a source of anger and distress. They are charged at a 
     very high rate - up to 49p per minute. A recorded message, which cannot 
     be skipped, makes incoming calls even more expensive.'

     The Committee urges hospitals to make better use of the bedside units. 
     'It is an utter waste for these units, which could contribute 
     significantly to the transfer of information within hospitals, to be used 
     as little more than glorified telephones and televisions. If the NHS 
     cannot make use of the additional services in the near future, the 
     Department should pay the difference in cost between the standard rate 
     and the amount charged by the companies. Patients' relatives and friends 
     should not be penalised for the Department's failings.'

Geoff White, Patientline's Chairman, said: 'We welcome the Committee's
recommendations and are already working with the Department of Health, through
the Patient Power Review Group, to secure a significant reduction in incoming
call charges.'

Extracts from the report comprising the full content relating to hospital
television and telephone charges are attached.

18 July 2006


Enquiries:

Tulchan Communications
Andrew Honnor                                    +44 (0) 207 353 4200



EXTRACTS FROM HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT

Bedside telecommunications

89. A recent chargeable service in the NHS is the provision of bedside
television and telephone units. The NHS Plan set a target to increase the
availability of bedside televisions and telephones in all major hospitals in
England by the end of 2004 as part of the Patient Power programme.

90. Several private companies were contracted to supply the telecommunications
services; most signed 15-year contracts with the NHS and were given exclusive
rights to install, maintain and operate the systems. Under the agreement there
was to be no subsidy from the NHS; the system had to be installed for free by
providers and paid for by users. The companies were required by the NHS to
provide several free services such as radio for all and television for children.
The systems were also required to provide internet access and to be capable of
calling up the electronic patient record and sending and receiving information
both for patients and professionals. Ten licences were granted after 2000.
Private sector investment was approximately #150 million and, by the end of
2004, over 75,000 bedside television/telephone units had been installed in 122
major hospitals and 33 smaller hospitals in England.

91. The range of services and prices differ from provider to provider.
Television use costs up to #3.50 per day. Outgoing telephone calls are capped at
around 10p per minute. Some companies offer discounts to older patients and long
stay patients; some allow unused credits to be distributed to patients who
cannot afford the service.

92. Bedside telephones and televisions are popular with patients. Patientline
stated that 10-15 million patients, relatives and friends use the systems each
year, with 70% of terminals usually registered as in use by a patient. Half of
these terminals incur a charge at any given time (other terminals may be being
used by children or adults listening to the radio). We were told by the NHS
Confederation that:

     The surveys that have been done show that 88% of patients really love 
     these things, and certainly have found the availability of a bedside 
     personal phone of great benefit to them. There is very high patient 
     satisfaction ... (high charges are) a problem outside the hospital and 
     for relatives rather than for patients. The patients like it and value it.

93. However, incoming calls are a source of anger and distress. They are charged
at a very high rate - up to 49p per minute. A recorded message, which cannot be
skipped, makes incoming calls even more expensive. This has been the subject of
an Ofcom investigation. At the same time, restrictions have been placed on the
use of mobile phones which may or may not have acceptable clinical or privacy
rationales.

94. The cause of these very high charges is the Government's decision to install
bedside units which can be used by health professionals to access the new
electronic patient record, allow electronic prescribing, ordering of x-rays,
investigations and the patient's choice of food, patient surveys and provision
of information and e-mail services to patients. The private companies believed
that they would be able to charge the NHS for additional services the Government
insisted on. However, most hospitals have not yet taken up these services, so
the company's means of recouping costs is limited to charges for telephone and
television usage. As a result, overall revenues have been lower than expected
and charges to users have been very high. Patientline has incurred losses each
year of operation, totalling #50 million. Ofcom's investigation noted the
extensive requirements set by the Department, highlighted the initial capital
expenditure required of the provider and concluded that the providers were not
wholly to blame for the high costs imposed on callers.

Bedside telephones

126. The high cost of incoming calls to patients' bedside units was blamed by an
Ofcom investigation on a "complex web of Government policy and agreements
between the providers and the NHS". Since the providers were not found to be
entirely at fault by Ofcom, there is a case for the Department to provide public
funds to reduce the costs of calls.

127. Another solution is to make use of the extensive facilities the bedside
units can provide. Some hospitals have used the units for more than the
provision of telephony, television and radio; this begs the question why others
are not following their lead. Patientline told us:

     The great opportunity, we believe ... is to extend the use of these 
     systems for the purposes for which they were originally designed and 
     selected so that the benefits extend well beyond those of patient 
     entertainment and communication.

This is a desirable solution but the need to generate more revenues should not
be the main determinant of whether the additional available facilities are used.

128. It has been suggested that providers had encouraged hospitals to maintain
the ban on mobile telephones so that bedside telephones would be used. Ofcom
raised the question but did not draw any conclusions. It is claimed that mobile
phones disturb other patients and staff and because of their cameras can breach
patients' privacy. On the other hand, in many circumstances, the sensible and
sensitive use of a mobile phone would inconvenience no-one. Should all patients
and their friends and relatives suffer because a minority were inconsiderate? We
did not receive any evidence that mobile telephones interfere with the operation
of medical equipment.

Bedside telephone charges

175. The cost of incoming calls to hospital bedside telephones is unacceptable,
but the providers are not wholly responsible for the problem. Ofcom described
the high prices of inbound calls as, "a result of a complex web of Government
policy and agreements between the providers and the NHS ... and not as a result
of unilateral conduct by the providers themselves. We recommend that urgent
consideration be given to short-term measures that could be taken to reduce the
costs, such as shortening the recorded message and making it avoidable. In the
longer term, we recommend that hospitals should make greater use of the bedside
units as soon as possible, since this would reduce the costs of incoming calls.
It is an utter waste for these units, which could contribute significantly to
the transfer of information within hospitals, to be used as little more than
glorified telephones and televisions. If the NHS cannot make use of the
additional services in the near future, the Department should pay the difference
in cost between the standard rate and the amount charged by the companies.
Patients' relatives and friends should not be penalised for the Department's
failings.

176. We are not convinced that the ban on mobile telephones in hospitals is
solely a result of possible interference with medical equipment. If used
sensitively, mobile telephones will not compromise patient care. We recommend
that, provided they do so sensitively, patients and their visitors should be
able to use mobile telephones within certain areas of hospitals.






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