Mobiles in Hospitals

If you've ever been in an NHS hospital in the UK you will know how difficult it is to stay in touch with family and friends. We all have mobile phones and are so used to instant communication with loved ones that it is a struggle not to use them. We have always been told that they interfere with medical equipment. This has never been a problem for those with private medical insurance as there is always a private phone available for calls. However, this month the UK Department of Health has recommended that the mobile phone ban be lifted in NHS hospitals.

Evidence shows that emotional support is essential to speedy patient recovery. Health minister Ben Bradshaw said in a statement, 'Support and comfort from loved ones when you are poorly in hospital is essential.' Easy communication also decreases stress as it is easier for patients to let people know what they need and when they can be collected from hospital. It would also release nursing staff from continual requests for telephones and administering incoming calls from relatives and friends.

So what about the safety aspect. Apparently areas that use equipment susceptible to electromagnetic interference will be restricted zones. Mr Bradshaw said that they are "keen to encourage sensible use in NHS hospitals where it is safe to do so."

There are also other concerns. Mobile phone use could potentially invade people's privacy as they can be used to take photographs of people without their consent. Also as in other settings, will mobile phones become a noise nusance when other patients are trying to rest?

There are many concerns about allowing mobile phone use in hospitals. So it this new recommendation guided by concern for patients wellfare or by the cost of providing calls for patients and staff ? Howard Catton, policy advisor for the Royal College of Nurses said, 'We had been concerned about the costs of Patient Line – the private phone company used to supply telephone lines for patients and staff in hospitals – for some time.'