Comments on: About… The PatientLine Scam http://www.boraston.net/blog My fight with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, getting my life back, and a few other things! Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:43:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Peter http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10677 Peter Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:58:30 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10677 Thank you for that, Bleeper. I have started a new blog www.paytientcrime.org.uk and will transfer those comments to it. I am now closing this post for new comments - please use the new blog for comments about PatientLine, or any other issues of a similar nature! Thank you for that, Bleeper. I have started a new blog http://www.paytientcrime.org.uk and will transfer those comments to it. I am now closing this post for new comments – please use the new blog for comments about PatientLine, or any other issues of a similar nature!

]]> By: Bleeper http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10670 Bleeper Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:42:04 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10670 Regarding above - it should read: So the cost of viewing TV for long tern patients will go UP not as Patientline are saying in the media, down. When the new rates take effect Patientline will be putting their staff in an intolerable position. Regarding above – it should read:

So the cost of viewing TV for long tern patients will go UP not as Patientline are saying in the media, down. When the new rates take effect Patientline will be putting their staff in an intolerable position.

]]> By: Bleeper http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10669 Bleeper Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:39:31 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10669 An important point that I missed when I last posted is that the the reduced rate TV concession available to patients after 14 days has has been removed by Patientline. So the cost of viewing TV for long tern patients will go not as Patientline are saying in the media, down. When the new rates take effect Patientline will be putting their staff in an intolerable position. An important point that I missed when I last posted is that the the reduced rate TV concession available to patients after 14 days has has been removed by Patientline. So the cost of viewing TV for long tern patients will go not as Patientline are saying in the media, down. When the new rates take effect Patientline will be putting their staff in an intolerable position.

]]> By: Smugger http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10664 Smugger Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:18:31 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10664 I actually work with patientline. The complaints we receive are valid points as patient i hospital do not need the stress of faulty bedside units with no staff to visit sometimes for 3 days or more. This causes great stress to patients. If more patientline staff were in place in hospitals, the problems that patients occur would be able to dealt with quicker, therefore reducing the stress of a stay in hospital. Patients pay £2.90 per day for use and quite rightly expect units to be in working order I actually work with patientline. The complaints we receive are valid points as patient i hospital do not need the stress of faulty bedside units with no staff to visit sometimes for 3 days or more. This causes great stress to patients. If more patientline staff were in place in hospitals, the problems that patients occur would be able to dealt with quicker, therefore reducing the stress of a stay in hospital. Patients pay £2.90 per day for use and quite rightly expect units to be in working order

]]> By: John http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10651 John Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:36:22 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10651 Well Bleeper, I sympathise with you having to probably deal with no end of hassle on the phone etc each day as it is surely not a job I would like. The whole situation is dire and in my opinion it will actually get worse as the year goes on with Patientline trying to get in as much money before they finally collapse into liquidation. Their treatment of people is deplorable. I missed the part about the rise in the Minimum Connection Charge to another whopping 40p. In this day and age where the trend is for people such as Banks, TV Companies etc etc are having to justify the charges they make for things it would be interesting to hear how Patientline can justify charging 40p for just ringing a number. Imagine if it with say, BT doing this, there would be murder. See Ya!! Well Bleeper, I sympathise with you having to probably deal with no end of hassle on the phone etc each day as it is surely not a job I would like. The whole situation is dire and in my opinion it will actually get worse as the year goes on with Patientline trying to get in as much money before they finally collapse into liquidation. Their treatment of people is deplorable. I missed the part about the rise in the Minimum Connection Charge to another whopping 40p. In this day and age where the trend is for people such as Banks, TV Companies etc etc are having to justify the charges they make for things it would be interesting to hear how Patientline can justify charging 40p for just ringing a number. Imagine if it with say, BT doing this, there would be murder.

See Ya!!

]]> By: Bleeper http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10647 Bleeper Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:34:56 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10647 Patientline are not making huge profits from Patients, they are not that clever. The company's shares are currently valued at less than 2p (and still falling) and is making huge losses. By the Chairman's own admission the company can not survive any longer than 12 months on current performance. So what did Patienline's Directors and Managers (who put their staff under great pressure to sell the company's services to sick people) do last week ? They make matters worse by a botched 'restructruturing' of prices. The recent 'restructuring of the prices of their products includes the abolition of the reduced rate for patients over 65, who will now have to pay the full daily rate of £2.90 and not £1.70. Patientline also increased the price of outgoing calls from the bedside from 10 p per min to 26p and introduced a minimum call charge of 40p (previously 20p) for outgoing calls which is charged regardles of whether an outgoing call is answered or not. The press release issued by Patienline last week was very enconomical with the truth. So long as prisoners receive free TV and sick people have to pay for their TV viewing there will always be, understandably, complaints and only Politicians can put that right. Howvever, so long as Patientline operate with insensitivity, faulty equipment and causing great stress at the bedside they will continue to to be rightly critisised. Is there any wonder that Patienlines staff sickness levels are so high we are trying to give a good service under great pressure. 'Bleeper' - A member of Patientline Staff. Patientline are not making huge profits from Patients, they are not that clever. The company’s shares are currently valued at less than 2p (and still falling) and is making huge losses. By the Chairman’s own admission the company can not survive any longer than 12 months on current performance.

So what did Patienline’s Directors and Managers (who put their staff under great pressure to sell the company’s services to sick people) do last week ? They make matters worse by a botched ‘restructruturing’ of prices.

The recent ‘restructuring of the prices of their products includes the abolition of the reduced rate for patients over 65, who will now have to pay the full daily rate of £2.90 and not £1.70. Patientline also increased the price of outgoing calls from the bedside from 10 p per min to 26p and introduced a minimum call charge of 40p (previously 20p) for outgoing calls which is charged regardles of whether an outgoing call is answered or not. The press release issued by Patienline last week was very enconomical with the truth.

So long as prisoners receive free TV and sick people have to pay for their TV viewing there will always be, understandably, complaints and only Politicians can put that right. Howvever, so long as Patientline operate with insensitivity, faulty equipment and causing great stress at the bedside they will continue to to be rightly critisised.

Is there any wonder that Patienlines staff sickness levels are so high we are trying to give a good service under great pressure.

‘Bleeper’ – A member of Patientline Staff.

]]> By: Peter http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10463 Peter Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:57:27 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10463 I heard that report too on Radio 4 - in fact I was going to comment on it in a post! The hike in phone prices is incredible - although for a one minute call, when they charge a 10p connection charge goes up from 20p to 26p. In fairness, I think that TV for under 16s is free. I must look at the patientLine web site to see exactly what has changed. (Just looked - as of 9am today - 4 April, it hasn't been updated) I heard that report too on Radio 4 – in fact I was going to comment on it in a post! The hike in phone prices is incredible – although for a one minute call, when they charge a 10p connection charge goes up from 20p to 26p. In fairness, I think that TV for under 16s is free. I must look at the patientLine web site to see exactly what has changed. (Just looked – as of 9am today – 4 April, it hasn’t been updated)

]]> By: John http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-10462 John Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:48:17 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-10462 Interesting viewing on BBC Breakfast this morning. Patientline having put up the cost of calling out from your bed from 10p min - 26p min, nearly 60% increase. The justification from Charlotte Reed a Patientline spokesperson was that they needed to recoup the £1 million invested in installing their One Armed Bandits, i mean terminals in each hospital and that they had never made a profit, in fact they are £150 million in debt, SHAME!!! They are however reducing the cost of the TV/Radio side from £3.50 - £2.80 A DAY!!!! Not even the Rip Off Sky TV charge this much for the Full Package of a Million and One channels compared to Patientlines 8 or 9 of which 5 are for children, which in my opinion was a ploy on their part. If children were to see that they can get things like CITV and Trouble etc etc they will then nag their parents to pay for it for them won't they? Ah well Rant Over for now, MAYBE!! I'm just glad that due to the remarkable reception on the Digital Freeview TV Card on the Laptop and the trusty Mobile Phone which are the first things to be packed ready to go into Heath Towers, Patientline have no longer got their hands in my pockets. One other small point, sorry, it kind of makes a mockery of what Mr or Mrs Anonymous above from Patientscam says about, well pretty much everything realy don't you think? See Ya!! Interesting viewing on BBC Breakfast this morning. Patientline having put up the cost of calling out from your bed from 10p min – 26p min, nearly 60% increase. The justification from Charlotte Reed a Patientline spokesperson was that they needed to recoup the £1 million invested in installing their One Armed Bandits, i mean terminals in each hospital and that they had never made a profit, in fact they are £150 million in debt, SHAME!!! They are however reducing the cost of the TV/Radio side from £3.50 – £2.80 A DAY!!!! Not even the Rip Off Sky TV charge this much for the Full Package of a Million and One channels compared to Patientlines 8 or 9 of which 5 are for children, which in my opinion was a ploy on their part. If children were to see that they can get things like CITV and Trouble etc etc they will then nag their parents to pay for it for them won’t they?

Ah well Rant Over for now, MAYBE!! I’m just glad that due to the remarkable reception on the Digital Freeview TV Card on the Laptop and the trusty Mobile Phone which are the first things to be packed ready to go into Heath Towers, Patientline have no longer got their hands in my pockets.

One other small point, sorry, it kind of makes a mockery of what Mr or Mrs Anonymous above from Patientscam says about, well pretty much everything realy don’t you think?

See Ya!!

]]> By: Peter http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-9864 Peter Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:19:34 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-9864 Interesting to see (from a general search on Google) that the ban on mobile phones was instigated by PatientLine in exchange for the installation to protect revenues, rather than for technical reasons, so my comment in the last line of the original post was rather nearer the mark than I thought. I note too that the initial PatientLine installations was subsididsed by the Government... Make of that what you will. Interesting to see (from a general search on Google) that the ban on mobile phones was instigated by PatientLine in exchange for the installation to protect revenues, rather than for technical reasons, so my comment in the last line of the original post was rather nearer the mark than I thought. I note too that the initial PatientLine installations was subsididsed by the Government… Make of that what you will.

]]> By: John http://www.boraston.net/blog/the-patientline-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-9852 John Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:34:34 +0000 http://www.boraston.net/blog/?page_id=173#comment-9852 Might I just start by saying "Thank god they have at last lifted the Mobile Phone ban in hospitals as we can maybe look forward to Patientline Free Future". In response to ??? from Patientline (Good Start, No Name) having had much involvement as in paying the equivalent of your working careers' salary to Patientline over the years you will understand my annoyance at your general ignorance in defending this despicable treatment of Patients. We have had no choice but to use your service as the nurses on the ward have refused to inform all but Immediate family as in spouses or usually one designated child of the patients well being etc.. as they have been told by Patientline that action will be taken against them if they undermine their buisness. The same goes for patients bringing in their own TV's etc. The other godsend is that in this day and age where even the BBC and ITV etc are having to drastically reduce their phone charges patientline are sure surely in line for some pretty close scrutiny. Good!!! As for your feeble attempt at trying to make out you are not really in it for the money, "We have been in hospitals for around 10years and have never made a profit", well you will find that this is down to Bad Management by patientline and not through any intention to do good. Maybe like the Banks, i should write asking for all the over charging to be returned over all these years as i have the many phone bills to prove it?? See Ya!! Might I just start by saying “Thank god they have at last lifted the Mobile Phone ban in hospitals as we can maybe look forward to Patientline Free Future”. In response to ??? from Patientline (Good Start, No Name) having had much involvement as in paying the equivalent of your working careers’ salary to Patientline over the years you will understand my annoyance at your general ignorance in defending this despicable treatment of Patients. We have had no choice but to use your service as the nurses on the ward have refused to inform all but Immediate family as in spouses or usually one designated child of the patients well being etc.. as they have been told by Patientline that action will be taken against them if they undermine their buisness. The same goes for patients bringing in their own TV’s etc. The other godsend is that in this day and age where even the BBC and ITV etc are having to drastically reduce their phone charges patientline are sure surely in line for some pretty close scrutiny. Good!!! As for your feeble attempt at trying to make out you are not really in it for the money, “We have been in hospitals for around 10years and have never made a profit”, well you will find that this is down to Bad Management by patientline and not through any intention to do good. Maybe like the Banks, i should write asking for all the over charging to be returned over all these years as i have the many phone bills to prove it??

See Ya!!

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