Birmingham hospital bosses hit back today over allegations from the BNP that injured troops were forced to pay to watch television
The claim was made by BNP leader Nick Griffin as he attempted to justify his wearing of a poppy against the wishes of the Royal British Legion during a televised debate. He said he would remove the poppy if the Legion put pressure on the Government to stop “charging young British soldiers with no legs in Selly Oak Hospital” to watch TV. But today the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, based at Selly Oak, insisted routine TV charges which applied to the hospital’s civilian patients were not paid by troops.
Spokesman Peter Haslam said the charges were instead met by a patient welfare fund, a registered charity providing such things as Sunday lunches and trips to football matches. Mr Haslam said: “A patient welfare fund at Selly Oak purchases TV cards and military patients are given £10 credit for every three days and additionally they get a pay-as-you-go dongle for their laptop. If a patient uses up money and has to pay out of their own pocket, they are reimbursed.”
Mr Griffin’s comments were made on Channel 4 News on Tuesday. He is tonight due to be a guest on the BBC’s Question Time programme with his invitation condemned by anti-fascist activists who were staging a day-long picket of Television Centre. Michael Morris, the Legion’s county manager, said he was unable to comment on political issues but said: “It’s disappointing that anything like this will be contentious, especially so close to the launch of this year’s Poppy Appeal. Nothing should detract attention from that as it is supporting our troops serving abroad.”
The Birmingham Mail contacted BNP spokesman Simon Darby who said he believed the injured troops did have to pay for television and phone calls in the past. “If the hospital have changed their policy then that is a good thing.” He refused to comment on whether Mr Griffin would continue to wear a poppy. Birmingham’s Poppy Appeal is due to be launched by Lord Mayor Coun Michael Wilkes in Victoria Square tomorrow from 12.30pm.
Birmingham Mail
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
October 22, 2009
March 27, 2008
Infirmary patient in bid to stop BNP site
A Huddersfield hospital patient is calling for the BNP website to be banned from bedside computer terminals over claims its content is too extremist.
The patient, from Newsome, says she was appalled during a recent stay at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to find she was restricted from viewing the video website YouTube, but could log on to the homepage of the right-wing British National Party.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said the decision to ban some sites was “hypocritical”.
She said: “I couldn’t believe they had blocked something as entertaining as YouTube but you could still get on something as extreme as the BNP website. Yes it is political, but some of its views are too extremist. I was shocked and disgusted. ”
The service, run by Patientline, offers bedside facilities to patients including television, telephone and internet access. Today a spokesman confirmed the restriction on YouTube was for purely technical reasons.
A spokesman said: “Patientline provides hospital patients with some of the entertainment and communication services they would enjoy in their own home, and this includes internet access. While Patientline does not censor websites, those sites which feature inappropriate material are restricted, as this is a legal requirement. Websites that require a large bandwidth, for example YouTube, are not available on bedside consoles simply because these would slow down the service for other users.”
Heckmondwike’s BNP councillor David Exley said banning political sites defeated the whole democratic process.
He said: “People should be given the right to make their own minds up. Whether they like it or not, it is a legitimate party website. People perceive it to have extreme views, but if it did, it would be banned. This is just daft and narrow-minded. People should be allowed to look at what all political parties have to offer.”
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
The patient, from Newsome, says she was appalled during a recent stay at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to find she was restricted from viewing the video website YouTube, but could log on to the homepage of the right-wing British National Party.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said the decision to ban some sites was “hypocritical”.
She said: “I couldn’t believe they had blocked something as entertaining as YouTube but you could still get on something as extreme as the BNP website. Yes it is political, but some of its views are too extremist. I was shocked and disgusted. ”
The service, run by Patientline, offers bedside facilities to patients including television, telephone and internet access. Today a spokesman confirmed the restriction on YouTube was for purely technical reasons.
A spokesman said: “Patientline provides hospital patients with some of the entertainment and communication services they would enjoy in their own home, and this includes internet access. While Patientline does not censor websites, those sites which feature inappropriate material are restricted, as this is a legal requirement. Websites that require a large bandwidth, for example YouTube, are not available on bedside consoles simply because these would slow down the service for other users.”
Heckmondwike’s BNP councillor David Exley said banning political sites defeated the whole democratic process.
He said: “People should be given the right to make their own minds up. Whether they like it or not, it is a legitimate party website. People perceive it to have extreme views, but if it did, it would be banned. This is just daft and narrow-minded. People should be allowed to look at what all political parties have to offer.”
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Patientline,
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