Patient-power is coming to Airedale Hospital in the shape of new bedside televisions and phones.

The Steeton hospital is pressing ahead with the introduction of new Hospicom units for patients.

The units and headphones -- to be installed and maintained by London-based HTS Ltd -- will provide patients with digital television, a direct phone with voicemail, radio, Internet access and hospital information channels.

Terminals will be mounted on arms and can be swung out of the way in the event of an emergency.

The Patient Power initiative, part of the Government's NHS Plan, states that all patients should have access to a bedside TV and phone by the end of this year.

Deputy director of estates David Watts said: "So far we have installed the first fixed wiring for the system and we are talking to the company about the control room and then putting in the screens.

"Unfortunately, we are not getting too far with the main contractors because like most Government initiatives they don't think about the industrial resources available.

"We are also taking this opportunity to install more phones in the hospital for relatives, although this will be separate from Hospicom."

Mr Watts added that Bradford District Care Trust, which now manages mental health wards at Airedale, has decided not to have the units installed on wards 4, 11, 12 and 24.

Staff have also decided not to include the system on Ward 18 as many of the patients have undergone minor surgery and only stay for a short period.

The cost of the terminals and their installation will be paid for by HTS, but Airedale must pay for the extra electricity consumed.

Patients will have access to different channels via a smart card available from vending machines. They can be topped up at the vending machines or with a debit card through the terminal.

A standard 15-channel TV package and a premium film channel will cost up to £2 each per day.

Telephone calls will be charged at 10p per minute to UK and EU countries, with incoming calls charged at 15p per minute. If a patient moves, their phone number can be taken with them. HTS says free services will include ten radio channels, one of which will be for talking books, lunchtime TV viewing from noon-1pm and hospital information.

When patients leave hospital they can recoup any money still left on a card over £3 or donate it to charity via the vending machines.

Radio Airedale -- the free hospital station run by volunteers -- is off air until the new system it will use is installed.