Over £660k spent on hospital’s TVs
MSP believes money could be better used
An MSP says he is appalled at a decision to spend £661,000 in two years on replacing televisions at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
Bedhead TVs in the 860-bed hospital are being removed and replaced with new models.
The televisions were not included in the facilities expected to be maintained by Serco as part of the original PFI agreement for the hospital and are the health board’s responsibility.
But Tory Alexander Stewart said TVs should not be a priority at a time when the health service is under pressure.
Forth Valley NHS board has approved a £411,000 capital spend on television replacement by the end of this year having already spent £230,000 of an allocated £250,000 in 2016/17 on new sets.
The board says the project is being undertaken purely for the benefit of patients and was sparked by feedback from them and their families.
While there has been recent controversy over sick patients in some NHS hospitals in England having to pay a minimum of £5 to watch ‘free to air’ TV services at their bedsides, there is no charge for the FVRH service.
However, Mr Stewart said: “The health board’s justification for this amount of expenditure beggars belief.
“At a time when budgets are under extensive pressure the public will not take kindly to hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent on these items.
“Cancelled operations, staff crisis situations, bed blocking and a loss of confidence in the health board’s abilities to run services in the area are what the public are experiencing on a day-to-day basis.
“This type of expenditure will do nothing to rebuild that confidence. I am appalled that the board still sees this type of expenditure as a priority.”
An NHS Forth Valley spokesperson said the TV replacement project was scheduled over two years with the £250,000 in the capital plan for 2016/17 for the purchase of the individual TV sets. The actual spend was ultimately £230,000.
They added: “The £411,000 allocated in this year’s capital plan is for the remaining equipment (including specialist adjustable arms) and installation costs. This replacement TV programme was agreed several years ago and accounts for a very small part of the board’s capital plan and overall budget.
“The replacement programme is designed to provide a better patient experience with larger screens which can be more easily adjusted for viewing. We know from feedback that patients and their families really value having access to a TV during their stay in hospital and the replacement programme will ensure they can continue to do this.”
The spokesperson said the televisions often receive more round-the-clock use than general domestic TVs. Regular patient surveys were said to have indicated that access to watching television was a valuable asset to both patients and visitors.
The new arms are said to be more robust and designed to offer patients more flexibility to position the TVs comfortably.
Lee Campbell, a member of NHS Forth Valley’s Patient Public Panel who carries out surveys to gather feedback from local patients, said: “Patients really value having access to a TV during their stay in hospital. Many patients have told me that it can be a really long day, especially if they don’t have any visitors, and the TV provides a welcome distraction at what can be a very stressful and anxious time.”
One patient, who did not wish to be named, said: “Having access to a television in hospital can help especially if you are recuperating and stuck in bed. It can help to keep your spirits up and your mind off things which might even help you to get better more quickly.”
However, another said: “Of course if possible I would like to be able to watch television, but not if it is at the expense of having to wait longer to be seen or seeing other treatments and care suffer. It does seem like a shocking amount of money to spend which could have been put into other healthcare services.”
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This type of expenditure will do nothing to rebuild that confidence Alexander Stewart