Bedside entertainment comes to Aberdeen
Patients at Foresterhill Hospital, Aberdeen, can enjoy the Patientline
bedside entertainment system now that 300 units have been installed since
the end of last year. The system is already in operation elsewhere in
Scotland, where it is provided free of charge to participating NHS boards.
In all the Slough company serves over 150 UK hospitals.
Patientline provides one hour of free TV at breakfast time, free TV to
children under 16 until 9pm, and free 24-hour radio. Other services are
paid for using smartcards that can be bought from vending machines onsite.
The card is inserted into a slot on the bedside unit to credit the
patient’s account. Telephone calls are 10p per minute for patients, but
49p per minute for calls to the patient at peak times (39p off-peak). TV
access is priced at £3.50 per 24 hours, and £1.70 for over 60s and
long-stay patients. Eventually, email and the Internet will also be
available.
If patients move to a different ward during their stay, their
Patientline account moves with them, though any left-over credit is not
refunded when the patient is discharged.
Source: bjhc&im May 2005
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