When I was an in-patient at the Queen Mum's maternity hospital here in Glasgow last year, I used my cell (oops--mobile) pretty often. As my folks were back in the States, I wasn't going to use hospital phones to call. While on the phone one day, the battleaxe of a nursing aux came in and nastily told me to get off the phone. I told her my situation (hormonal, away from family), to which she tried to explain to me the damage I was going to cause to the equipment. After informing her that I had a clue or two about medical equipment, I snapped and told here that there was no way in hell that my mobile phone was going to interrupt the operation of a breast pump in the hallway and a Dinamap 100! I'd say blame the hormones, but truth is she was a vile woman to have working in that capacity. If she had acted with some decorum, I wouldn't have been snarky with her.
Anyways, rant over. My feeling on the mobile thing is that it's not as big a deal as it once may have been. I've had one suspected incident with interference with a syringe pump in ITU, and it could've easily been interference with another piece of equipment, as several things were in immediate vicinity. I'd say let them be used in regular wards, op clinics, and common areas and keep them out of critical care wards, A & E, theatres, and neurophysio (EEG/EMG) wards/clinics.
