Check for signs

Signs around the hospital will show you where you can use your mobile phone.

If you need to make a call or send a text, make sure you go to an area where you can use your phone. If you’re not sure, ask a member of staff first.

Using your phone

The hospital may ask you to keep your phone on the silent setting.

Loud or irritating ring tones can disturb other people, including patients, visitors and staff. So can phone conversations.

Use of mobile phones can also disturb important discussions between healthcare professionals and patients.

If you’re staying in hospital, you may only be allowed to use your phone during normal ward hours, and not when other patients are sleeping. If you’re in for a long time, the hospital may agree to you using your mobile phone charger. However, they will probably want to test it first, to make sure it’s electrically safe.

Where not to use your phone

The hospital signs will show you where you can’t use your phone. For example:

• critical or intensive care wards and units,
• special care baby units, and
• any area where specialist medical equipment is being used to treat a patient.

If you’re not allowed to use your phone, make sure you switch it off. Don’t just leave it on the silent or vibrate setting, because it can still affect medical equipment.

Mobile phones and medical equipment

Loud ring tones and alarms on mobile phones can be confused with alarms on medical equipment.

Interference from mobile phones can also stop medical equipment from working properly, for example:

• dialysis machines,
• defibrillators,
• ventilators,
• foetal heart monitors, and
• pumps.

Equipment like this is often used in critical care wards and units, but can also be used in other parts of the hospital