Charles Walker asks the Health Secretary about the use of mobile phones in hospitals and about the costs of using bedside telephone in hospitals.

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what authority NHS hospitals prohibit the use of mobile phones within their premises on grounds of potential interference with (a) medical equipment, (b) patients' privacy and (c) patients' peace and quiet. [87859]

Andy Burnham: Every national health service trust has responsibility for the safe use of medical equipment within their hospitals and should undertake a local risk assessment to determine those areas where it is safe to permit mobile telephone usage and those areas where usage should be prohibited, due to the presence of electrically sensitive medical devices. For example, this risk assessment should cover not only the public's use of mobile telephones and other radio equipment, but also the use of communication equipment by hospital staff and the emergency services.

Restrictions in other areas of the hospital premises may be introduced for reasons other than their impact on the safety of medical equipment, such as the desire to reduce the disruption caused by the uncontrolled use of mobile telephones and the possible invasion of patients' privacy from phones with built in cameras, for example. Mobile telephone ring tones may be confused with medical device alarm signals by hospital staff, which could have a direct impact on patient safety.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has recently published "Frequently asked questions on the use of mobile phones in hospitals on its website at www.mhra.gov.uk.