Mobile phones are being banned in key areas of Bradford's hospitals amid new concern over the danger they could pose to essential equipment.

High risk areas including intensive care, the special care baby unit and Accident and Emergency at Bradford Royal Infirmary will come under the ban.

New warning signs are being drawn up and detectors will be fitted at reception points in critical areas, sounding alarms if anyone is using a mobile phone or has one operating.

Experts have decided to take the measures after examining latest evidence that mobile phones and two-way radios could interfere with vital medical equipment. International research has shown they have led to syringe pumps and infusion devices switching off, wrong readings on oxygen monitors and even the stopping of heart pacemakers.

Mobile phones have not been proven to affect any devices in Bradford's hospitals but they are believed to be the likeliest reason for a number of equipment malfunctions although the machines were not linked to patients at the time.

Graham Hart, radiation protection adviser at Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said alarms would sound at reception in high risk areas if users had mobiles in operation.

New signs would be prominently displayed, warning staff, patients and visitors about the change in policy which also aimed to stop people using phones in areas where they could disturb patients. Other areas affected by the initiative include theatres where mobile phones could only be used with caution.

"We have had one or two reports of strange things occurring to equipment - which may be down to phones and which we are trying to follow up," he said. "What we are doing is acting before something serious does happen.

"All the high risk areas will have mobile phone detectors which will sound an alarm if anybody is using or has phones operating.

"We are aware that people waiting in Accident and Emergency - which has a lot of critical care equipment - may want to let others know where they are.

"We would simply ask that people using phones move to a location away from the critical area."

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