Then get stung for an operator-connected call.....

I don't and here's why - previously you called the hospital, asked to be but through to the ward and the patient either came to the phone or the phone was taken to the patient. Cost - a regular call that might have been a bit longer than you wanted it to be - but at least you weren't racking up insane phone bills. If the patient wasn't there you could get an update from the staff. Result - everyone basically happy.

If they abolished revenue-sharing tomorrow I wouldn't shed a tear. Patientline's profit is driven by a salacious burden on people in hospital and their relatives - it is as some say a tax on being ill, like prescription charges.

When my Mother was in Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport seriously ill last year, they had the 07 phone setup at each bed, but the nurses on the ward told everyone the cost and suggested they ring the wards public trolley phone (an 0161 number) and they would wheel the trolley to the patient.

As Punch says to Judy "That's the way to do it!"

Well these two companies actually spent their own money(Millions) on the new equipment. The NHS did not pay them a penny. In fact, the two companies do have to pay rent for operating equipment on the premises. They also have to pay for external services such as call charges,line rental,TV subscriptions and licences.

That's all very well, but when I was in hospital, I didn't lie there in bed thinking "what this place needs is something that will cost someone 50p a minute to ring me, or something that'll cost me a fortune to ring someone else." Neither did I think there was a need for a Tv which would cost me more than £1 a day to watch.

If these things make a profit from patients using them then so be it, but if they go bust because staff and patients think they are a rip off, I won't lose any sleep over it.

I would object if some poor sods ring there granny in hospital not knowing it was costing them 50p a minute or whatever. And I'm sure that is happening all day, every day.

I don't see a problem with paying £1 per day for the TV right at the bedside, at least the NHS doesn't have to pay for their upkeep, though you can go to the TV room, if you don't want to pay, not sure how much they charge for outgoing calls, so can't comment there, yes the incoming charge is way too high.

Your having a laugh!

You won't find a TV room in hospitals round here! You'd be lucky to find a nurse never mind a TV room.

The call charges are quite cheap. You buy a calling card and its something like 3p per minute to call a landline.

3p/min is not too bad for the convenience. They still have TV rooms around here, in addition to the bed side TVs.

10p per min outgoing.

That's a bit much.