To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average charge made to hospital patients to access personal television facilities; and what steps hospitals are taking to ensure that use of such facilities does not have an adverse effect on other patients. (179157)

The Department has not estimated the average charge to patients to access personal television services in hospitals.

The service providers set their own charges. The Department is not party to the contracts which exist between the service providers and the individual national health service trusts. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they can still watch the free to view television in the hospital day room or communal areas.

It is a matter for each individual trust and the service providers to ensure that the bedside systems are operated with minimum disruption to other patients. Each bedside system is equipped with personal headphones to ensure that noise from the television is kept to a minimum and the screens can be turned off when not in use.