A family has called on a company providing a phone service for hospital patients to cut its charges during the Covid-19 crisis.

Irene Simpkin, who was charged more than £11 for calling her 87-year-old mother at Southport and Formby District General Hospital amid a ban on visitors, said Hospedia was "very greedy".

Ms Simpkin's mother Odile has been in the hospital for almost a fortnight after suffering multiple pelvis and hip fractures in a fall.

The justice secretary has asked Hospedia to temporarily drop its charges while a Labour MP described the situation as "scandalous".

The company is yet to respond.

BBC News

Yes they are but their thinking is that the people the patient calls will be multiple and will feel obliged to return the call, possibly several times.

They also provide a TV service which is OK but for one flaw.

A few years ago I broke my neck and had to lie completely flat with my head in restraint until I could have surgery. It was very difficult to read or even to talk to other people. TV was an obvious help.

BUT although the TV was on an adjustable bracket, the one angle it would not reach was above the bed and directly parallel to it. As it was an LCD screen, watching it from a foot or so away, but at an angle, simply did not work.

I can't have been the only patient to have experienced this.

I decided to not have my cancer op in Southport ( thanks to issues in the past ) and I had a great time in Aintree , no problems with mobiles or contact , free telly provided you had headphones . To be honest the ward was so "interesting at times " it was almost like "only when I laugh " that the telly just stayed on silent for the BBC news !!
As for the parking , its free for me now at Aintree , even the staff pull me up to validate my ticket ..

There was a story on BBC that the Hospital Trust had looked into transferring the cost of calls from the patients to the Trust as visitors have been stopped, but were told this would cost around £10k a month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52166185