EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Mobile phone policy

When I did some testing for the MHRA report all those years ago I discussed the TETRA system with a technical man from the Home Office. It was not out at the time and he could give me no definite details but it worried us both.
The power is higher than a mobile phone and the frequency is lower and hence more penetrating. The biggest concern was that the signal is done in bursts of data and that is what I found upset medical equipment the most. Short bursts of RF will have lots of harmonics.
My advice is to be very careful of these radios.
Robert

I've ben tasked with updating our Trust Policy on mobile phone use. Does anyone have a current policy they'd be prepared to share. I feel its time to move from a total ban (not enforced anyway) to a more realistic approach - Something on the lines of alowing use in reception areas, consulting rooms and offices, a ban in critical areas, and something in between in ward areas. I'm particularly interested in how the issues of privacy, nuisance and confidentiality have been addressed for phone use by staff, patients and visitors. Why can't we have one Policy for the use in NHS Hospitals surely we're not all that different - but then this is the NHS.

Graham

Look on the MHRA web page and search for mobile phones and you will find the latest recommendations.

We are still trying to enforce a total mobile phone ban. This is more down to nuisance value to other patient. Some of the wards use DECT mobile phone to allow patients access to a telephone.

The other reason our trust is still trying to enforce a total ban is all patient have a bedside phone, one of these high cost, income generating service for both incoming and outgoing calls.

Most modern mobile phone come with cameras so will be worth writing some in about patient privacy on wards.

A.M

Interestingly I am involved with Major Incident planning within our trust and as a potential incident officer I and all other similar officers around the UK will be issued with an Iridium phone that we would be expected to use for ALL communications with the command centre whether in hospital or out. Given the nature of these devices I wonder how they will be treated!!

When the problem of mobile phones first came to the fore I did some of the testing for the MHRA. I was talking to someone from the Home Office about how it is the pulsatile transmissions that seem to cause the most problems. He said that the new radio/phone system that was about to be introduced (I presume that this is Iridium). It worked on a packet system, sending out compressed bursts of speach data. A phone was not available for testing at the time. I do not know of any work that has been done with this system and medical devices. I would be very interested to know what they could do to a medical device.
The power of a transmitter is of significance. Phones needed to be close to a device to affect it, the porters radios (4watts) could have an effect at a range of several meters. Does anyone know the transmitting power of an Iridium handset?
Robert

Have a look at the link below.It's from the DoH website, August Chief Executive Bulletin.
Bob..

http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/86/59/04138659.pdf