Relatives ‘still being ripped off ’ for calls to hospitals

WORRIED RELATIVES who call patients in hospital are still being forced to pay “rip-off ” charges of 50p a minute despite a promised clampdown on the issue.

The firm Hospedia, which runs bedside TV and phone services in NHS hospitals and made £21.2m in revenue last year, makes people call loved ones via costly 070 numbers. The charges vary from hospital to hospital, but many trust websites say they cost 50p a minute or more.

Callers are also forced to listen to a lengthy recorded message of about 70 seconds – which racks up charges before they are even connected to their loved one. The message contains information already obvious to the caller, such as the fact the patient is in hospital, and tells callers to be “patient”.

Liz McAnulty, chairwoman of the Patients Association, said: “Phone contact can be hugely valuable and reassuring to people in hospital and their loved ones at home. It is unacceptable for people calling someone in hospital to be charged heavily for 70 seconds before they even get through.”

Hospedia currently manages TV and bedside phone services in 150 NHS hospitals, installing services for free in return for keeping the money charged to patients and relatives.

The firm said in 2014 it planned to phase out the use of 070 numbers, but this has not happened. Ofcom reviewed the high costs in 2006 following complaints from users and recommended a “substantial” reduction in incoming call charges.

The Department of Health looked at the issue and agreed to consider a skip facility at the start of the recorded message, enabling callers to bypass it and reduce the cost of the call. But this never came into effect and high call charges have remained.

Hospedia said it offers free TV on children’s wards and free channels 1 to 5 from 8am to noon on adult wards. Outbound calls to landlines are also free.

A spokesman added: “We believe we offer an excellent service, which would not be provided at all if it weren’t for us taking on the investment and ongoing management and support costs.

“Patients can choose to pay for our services, beyond those we offer for free, or not.”