HOSPITAL patients across the county who want to phone loved ones are set to see the cost of their call soar by 160 per cent.

Patientline, the company that provides telephones at bedsides in Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, is increasing the cost of outgoing calls from 10p a minute to 26p a minute from as early as next week.

The cost of calls to patients from outside hospital is already 39p per minute off-peak and 49p a minute peak. However, the cost of the complete bedside package will fall from £3.50 a day to £2.90 a day.

Pat Fisher, chairman of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust's Patient and Public Involvement Forum said: "The Government initiated the fact that all patients should have access to televisions and telephones, but patients weren't consulted on this. As Patientline is a private company there is nothing we can do about this.

"Patients can use mobile phones within the hospital, but for those without a mobile or those who are bedridden, who just need a friendly voice on the end of the phone this is very prohibitive."

Patientline has come in for a barrage of criticism but said it was actually committed to reducing prices.

But it says an original contract with the NHS has left it unable to make a profit and talks with the Department of Health have been protracted, to the extent that the company has had to postpone a firm decision on reductions.

The Department of Health said discussions were continuing but Patientline had been unable to present a proposal acceptable to the taxpayer.

In a statement, Patientline said: "Our charges are dictated by the Government's contract with Patientline, which means we have to fund and recover all installation (about £1 million per hospital) as well as the additional day-to-day running costs.

"Patientline has yet to make a profit due to this heavy investment programme, and in order to make the reduced costs for TV, internet and games economically viable, we have had to increase the cost of outgoing calls to 26p per minute from 10p for the time being."

A spokesman for the trust said each of the three hospitals across the Trust was holding individual meetings with Patientline this week. We will be discussing any changes with them and if price changes are going to come in, we expect them next week."

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