After the problems today with Virgin phone I am thinking of going back to BT. Will they have to install anything? Will there be special charges to do this?

Looking at their site It seems that phone and broadband may compare favourably with Virgin. Are there any hidden charges for phone & broadband?

In event of breakdown of service, do people with health problems have priority with BT?

If your old BT line is still connected (and passes the test BT will do on it) they will simply switch it back on for you. You will need to tell them (BT) if you want to keep your old virgin number so that they can arrange the transfer. If you wan't reliable internet I would definitely use O2 for broadband. BT are fine for calling but have a terrible reputation for broadband (bad service and even worse helpdesk - just browse the forums here!)

The other provider you might want to think about is the Post Office. You can rent your line from them, get free eve and weekend landline calls, free weekend MOBILE calls and unlimited internet all for £25/month (£20 for the same but with a 5GB download cap - which might suit you)

http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/BTpro...ucts/index.htm

Free Priority Fault Repair scheme
The telephone is a vital lifeline for people who are unable to leave the house because of an illness or disability. If you have a chronic long-term illness or a severe disability you can apply for our Free Priority Fault Repair scheme. BT does ask for your application to be supported by a medical practitioner. Once you are registered, BT will deal with reported faults as soon as possible, day or night, 365 days a year.

Thank you both for the information. I'll look into them when I am connected again.