New evidence for hospital mobile ban

New research in the journal Critical Care has provided fresh evidence that mobile phone signals over short ranges can interfere with essential hospital intensive care equipment.

Over to the study more than half the hospital ventilators tested by Dutch researchers ceased to work properly when a mobile was switched on nearby, particularly within one metre.

The government has been moving to allowing the use of mobile phones in hospitals. However, the new study suggests that that this would be inadvisable in high dependency areas.

As part of the study a total of 61 different medical devices were tested, and the majority could be affected by the presence of a mobile. Intensive care ventilators proved particularly susceptible to interference from mobile signals, with seven out of nine tested influenced.

Of these, six were described by the researchers as "hazardous", involving a direct physical influence on the patient.

Critical care monitors were also found to be vulnerable, with seven out of 13 disrupted by mobile signals. Other devices which suffered problems were syringe pumps dialysis machines, external pacemaker machines and feeding pumps.

The researchers say: "The policy to keep mobile phones one metre from the critical care bedside seems warranted."

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency advises that mobiles should be kept out of areas with sensitive medical equipment.