The private firm Patientline, that provides television and phone access to NHS patients at extortionate prices, has today been reported as being in some £80million in the red Ð but it shouldnÕt hike up its charges further to clear it debts says UNISON.
In April this year, UNISON, the countryÕs biggest health union, named and shamed Patientline for ripping off vulnerable NHS patients, families and friends by hiking up telephone call charges from 10p to 26p per minute.
UNISONÕs head of health Karen Jennings said:
ÒPatientline is paying the price of ripping off vulnerable patients Ð the fact is if they charged more reasonable prices then more patients might consider using their services. IÕm hugely concerned that this latest piece
of bad financial news for Patientline will see the firm use it as an excuse to hike up prices to even more extortionate levels.Ó
In the past Patientline was reported to Ofcom Ð the communications Watchdog Ð for exploiting patients families by charging 49p a minute peak and 39p a minute off-peak call-in charges.
Wherever possible, UNISON is calling for patients to be granted more access to mobile phones and affordable landline telephone services.
UNISON represents some 460,000 health workers across the UK and 1.3 million members across the public sector.