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John Leech MP calls for cheaper phone calls for Hospital patients
June 27, 2006 9:00 AM
John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, is backing a report from the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health which calls for the cost of phone calls to and from patients' bedsides in hospitals to be cut.
The report found that 88% of patients and relatives surveyed rated the cost of inbound calls to these phones as expensive or very expensive and in some cases as causing real hardship.
John Leech has signed a parliamentary motion, Early Day Motion 2161 "Fairtalk Survey by PPI Forums on Hospital Bedside Telephone Systems". This motion calls on the government to take the reports findings into account when awarding or reviewing contracts for the provision of bedside phone systems in hospitals.
John Leech MP said:
"Bedside telephone systems, such as that being installed at the MRI and that already completed at Wythenshawe Hospital are to be welcomed for the convenience they allow patients and their relatives and friends. However, it is clear from this report that the cost of calls to these phones is adversely impacting on many patients and their relatives at a very stressful and vulnerable time. The government should act on this report to lower the cost of these calls in future"
ENDS
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