NHS patients charged [pounds sterling]3.50 a day to watch TV in hospital.

Byline: GRAHAM GRANT

BED-BOUND patients in Scotland's hospitals are being charged [pounds sterling]3.50 a day to watch television - while prison inmates pay only [pounds sterling]1 a week for the same privilege.

The privately-run scheme in NHS hospitals is aimed at people who are too sick or weak to walk to ward day rooms, which have a free, communal TV.

But patients, who are barred from bringing in their own sets, face a bill of nearly [pounds sterling]25 per week if they use the pay-per-view bedside units - soaring to almost [pounds sterling]100 a month over a long-term stay.

By contrast, convicted criminals serving their sentence in Scottish jails can rent a TV for their cell for less than 15p per day.

Last night patients' relatives accused private firms of ripping off the elderly and vulnerable.

One woman, whose mother is spending the festive period at Lanarkshire's Monklands Hospital, which installed the system earlier this month, said: ' We couldn't believe it when we heard she had to pay for television.

'As far as we are concerned the hospital is just taking advantage of the sick, it's an absolute scandal.

We were told the TVs that have been presented to the wards as gifts have been taken away.

'You can't even bring in your own.

It's an absolute disgrace.' Patientline, the main company behind the scheme, operates in 160 hospitals throughout the UK.

Its service is available in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the new Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Ayr Hospital and Monklands Hospital.

For [pounds sterling] 3.50 a day, patients can access a bedside unit with 16 TV channels and Internet access.

They can also access a bedside telephone system - which charges incoming calls at 50p a minute.

Last night, Scottish National Party health spokesman Shona Robison said: 'This is just another example of a private company profiteering out of the NHS.' A spokesman for Age Concern Scotland said: 'It is unfair because elderly people and long- term patients are going to suffer the most from a scheme such as this.' But last night Rosemary Lyness, general manager at Monklands, said: 'Patientline allows patients to enjoy their own programmes without disturbing others and patients can still watch TV for free in the day rooms.' She said television sets donated to the wards would be raffled to raise funds for patients.

A Patientline spokesman said: 'To provide a system like Patientline's would cost each hospital around [pounds sterling]1million.

' Most people agree that the NHS's resources should be spent on providing healthcare, not entertainment and information systems.'

g.grant@dailymail.co.uk

Slump in appointments

THE number of Scots receiving hospital appointments has plummeted despite record NHS investment to clear waiting lists.

New figures show 150,000 fewer people were treated in the third quarter of this year than over the same period in 1999.

The Conservatives claimed the figures showed the extra cash was making little difference.

Scottish Tory health spokesman David Davidson said: 'It is unbelievable that after all the money which has been poured into the NHS this year we are still seeing figures like these.

'While waiting lists continue to grow, the mismanagement of the NHS means over 150,000 fewer treatments have been carried out since devolution.' The figures show the number of appointments fell by almost 158,00 between March 1999 and September this year.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland has warned Scottish health policy should not be dictated by Westminster MPs.

Dr Peter Terry said: 'With a Westminster election looming, it is vital the Scottish parliament doesn't roll over on devolved issues to satisfy MPs' security.'