Cycling UK Forum

UK electorate: We want north european levels of public services

Also UK electorate: We don't want european levels of tax & then votes tory.

rjb wrote: ↑14 Mar 2022, 3:49pm At the RDE in Exeter they encourage visitors to use the park and ride as on site parking is limited.

I've not been to Exeter for a while, but the RD&E website encourages public transport first, then walking (it's 30 minutes walk from the city centre) and bike (route E9 passes it), and only then the Park and Ride.

They then make everyone pay to use the bus as your concessionary pass (OAP bus pass) isn't accepted, and they may even charge you to park your car there. (Park and ride website doesn't mention free parking). Anyone from Exeter way know if this is the case.

Equally, the park and ride website doesn't mention charges, which they usually do if they charge, so I'd expect free parking (especially as otherwise, people would park elsewhere and use the town buses which do accept the bus pass). It mentions the bus fare, although it's only a link to Stagecoach which doesn't work for me... the RD&E website says it's £2 return, bus pass holders £1.50, children £1.

What's this got to do with the TV?

As always things are better in Lincolnshire - https://www.ulh.nhs.uk/news/free-televi ... -patients/

I've had two operations on the NHS that were held in a private hospital.. the NHS rent a ward I guess.. TV was free and food was pretty damned good as well

Having been in hospital recently (Ipswich). Yes they do charge for the TV and the devices look a bit dated. When I was "in" nobody was watching or paying - it was apparently free form 6 am to 12 noon. So what's the point of installing all that stuff and nobody uses it?
It also allowed free phone calls (limited to 2 mins, but you could redial and get successive two minutes) the one next to my bed did not work anyway.
As for parking - if you parked up and got admitted (even for several days) apparently you could cancel the parking charge - which is probably a good thing as there are no ambulances to get you to the hospital.

pete75 wrote: ↑14 Mar 2022, 6:38pm As always things are better in Lincolnshire - https://www.ulh.nhs.uk/news/free-televi ... -patients/

And Worcestershire

All patients can make free calls to 01, 02, 03 landline numbers from the bedside unit and watch Free TV on channels 1-5, typically from 8am to 12noon

although I think that is a general notice, possibly an old one. I spent 4 days in Redditch hospital last week and TV was free at the bed all of the day and covering all Freeview channels. One ward had phones at the bed, the other had one available if wanted - that was free too. Food was good and copious enough for a cyclist too.

Pay TV etc seems odd in days of Covid because no visitors were allowed, so if you came in on a stretcher it is likely that you may not be carrying any credit card.

tatanab wrote: ↑15 Mar 2022, 7:23am

pete75 wrote: ↑14 Mar 2022, 6:38pm As always things are better in Lincolnshire - https://www.ulh.nhs.uk/news/free-televi ... -patients/

And Worcestershire

All patients can make free calls to 01, 02, 03 landline numbers from the bedside unit and watch Free TV on channels 1-5, typically from 8am to 12noon

although I think that is a general notice, possibly an old one. I spent 4 days in Redditch hospital last week and TV was free at the bed all of the day and covering all Freeview channels. One ward had phones at the bed, the other had one available if wanted - that was free too. Food was good and copious enough for a cyclist too.

Pay TV etc seems odd in days of Covid because no visitors were allowed, so if you came in on a stretcher it is likely that you may not be carrying any credit card.

Thinking about it, people in hospital are getting free board and lodging as well as medical, so why not make a charge for non essential services.

Hi,
https://fullfact.org/health/cost-tv-hospital-prison/

"In-cell TVs costs £1 per week for prisoners to rent, but they can be removed as a disciplinary measure."

"Can anyone tell me why it costs £8 a day to watch telly in hospital when you’re 82, but it’s free in prison”.
Twitter user, 11 June 2019"

Spent one night in hospital in the last approximately 30 years, this was for a racing heart which was probably brought on through being dehydrated, possible virus.

Previous to that TVs were very sparse, unless you could make it to the day room.
Go back 40 years and TVs were even rarer, I remember having one for a short period of time, there was only one on the ward.
It was decided someone else needed It more.

Not all elderly people have a clue how to use their devices.
Got a MOBILE but don't know how to use it's appears from the comments that it's a mixed bag.

Reason for the post, I had no idea about paying to view in hospital.
After my partner's mother has recently had a fall and gone into Exeter hospital, RD&E.

Edited for errors

My last hospital trip was October 2019 to Paisley getting a gall stone removed as a matter of urgency.
The wards had tv available at any time and far too often and too loud for my taste. A consultant appeared at one point and told a nurse to turn the thing off as he could not hear the patient speak.
Parking is free at nearly all Scottish hospitals. Only the few left tied into a long term lease by the Labour administration remain because the parking company does not want to be bought out and there seems no way to compel them to sell the remaining time on the lease.
No ban on common sense use of mobile phones either.