11 April 2005
The telecoms industry is today facing aggrieved pressure from consumers in the UK and Scotland after reports revealed the extortionate charges being filed against people making calls between home landlines and the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The Scotsman writes that people phoning in to speak to patients at the ERI are in fact being charged double the amount a call costs to Australia.
Calls made to bedside phones at the hospital are being charged at up to 49p a minute at peak times and 39p a minute at other times.
This amazingly is in contrast to a call made from a BT home phone line to Australia that costs only 22p a minute, on top of standing charges.
Ministers have called for immediate enquiries into this situation.
Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald commented: "I think there should be an investigation into this because it looks to me like someone is making too much money out of people when they are vulnerable."
Concerns are now arising that many more cases of these high call rates could be currently operating undetected in other hospitals throughout the UK.
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