Hospital patients ‘to face higher phone charges’

Hospital patients may find their debt management difficulties increased after a telephone company has more than doubled the cost of bedside calls.

From today, Patientline has increased the cost of outgoing calls from 10p per minute to 26p, a rise of 160 per cent which could affect customers’ budgeting and ability to make secured personal loan repayments on their return home.

Spokesperson for the Patients Association, Michael Summers claimed the move would lead to a rise in customer complaints.

He said: "These people are ill, often recovering from operations and the hike from 10p to 26p to phone out is really too much. People are going to be really upset with this."

However Patientline is to reduce the cost of its television services to £2.90 per day to compensate for the increased cost of telephone calls.

A report by telecoms regulator Ofcom last year claimed that Patientline could be breaking legislation by charging too much for incoming calls.

Last month, Helen Saxon suggested a low rate loan can be a "positive move" for those struggling to manage their finances.

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