UK Hospitals Policies ???

[Mia33]

Hello guys,

I'm a Canadian Nurse and was wondering if it is true that UK Hospitals, somewhere in Hamshiere don't allow their patient to use cell phones and Internet? Is that trustful information? Is that hospital policy?

I'm asking this because one person is saying me constantly that they are not allowed to use electronical devives in the hospital?? I personally have never heard about that..May be it is particaular units or some medical conditions which don't allow that..

Here in Canada our patient allowed to have everything: and notebook, and the cell phones..

Please if someone could respond on my add I will be very thankful for that..

Mia and thank you again..

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

there may be some hospitals that still don't allow the use of mobiles but I think that these are getting more relaxed. I guess you'd have to contact the hospital in question and ask them directly

[LiverpoolJane]

My previous hospital didn't allow mobile phones, it used to be said that they interfere with medical equipment. Now I think it is accepted that this is no longer the case but hospitals pay outside companies to provide TV and phone services. Unfortunatley I was told that mobile phones were banned because it meant that then patients wouldn't be paying extortionate prices to make a phone call from these companies phones!

[Billy Shears]

At the hospital I used to work in we had problems with patients & relatives filming, recording and taking photos on mobile phones.

[lisamct]

Our hospital policy is still no mobile phone use and still has all the signs up banning the use of mobile phones and Im pretty sure the main medical building keeps to this ban.

However in maternity, where I am, mobile phones are used pretty freely in our labour and LDRP rooms (although we do discourage partners using them whilst women are in active labour) however within the inpatient areas its still definitely 'frowned upon' by some staff.

As for internet well there's certainly no internet access provided by the hospital and Ive never known anyone to even ask about internet use, i guess in maternity women are in for such a short time and pretty much too busy caring for a newborn 24/7 to worry about surfing the net.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

mobiles are permitted in my trust. using a laptop to acess internet may be harder as i don't think we are wifi for genneral use and we don't have patient personal landlines except patient line.

oh a new first a pt used a mobilr to phone her daughter who phoned the ward on the pt behalf, we have never had this happen before