I see patientline is continuing to drift downwards. Is this just lack of news, or does someone know something about which way the inquiry is likely to go ? Any Ideas?

Hospitals do not permit the use of mobile phones on the spurious grounds that mobiles may interfere with sensitive equipment. Hence Patientline had the field to themselves. However, the Department of Health has now stated that there is no good reason to ban the use of mobile phones in hospitals (at least outside of areas such as intensive care where specialised equipment may be in use).

IMHO, Patientline's days are numbered. Today's announcement about rises in charges from 10p/minute to 26p/minute is plain suicidal. The clamour to get rid of them and allow free use of mobiles in UK hospitals will now be intense.

Sell.

The issue with mobile phones is somewhat odd - it's true they "probably" don't represent a danger to equipment and could be restricted to "common-rooms" - but it will soon change and ringtones will be the norm in every ward - as you take yr last gasp expect "crazy frog" to wisk you away.
The fact is that folk cannot be trusted and it will interfere with hospital bleeps, not electrically - simply the noise-level. Don't expect any sleep either, these pesky things will be ringing every hour.
By comparison Patientline is probably a good alternative - but the Gov./NHS got control of the technology and demanded patient-record databases , xray clips etc (as I understand it).
The cost per terminal rose to dizzy heights and Patientline wasn't smart enough to demand a "minimum income" so when hospitals refused to use this new technology...it was patients that were saddled with the income stream...hence the high costs.
From a business view, it is completely daft and I'm not surprised Evil is shorting...but perhaps at these prices (c. 3p= up 15% Thursday) Patientline will be forced to renegotiate.....but Government and NHS are poor business prospects and I suspect the Execs at Patientline wish they'd opened a pizza parlour in each hospital, for about the same investment.
This is not one of my investments, never liked the idea and whilst the service appears to be satisfactory the costs look like opportunism...(this isn't the case! ), as they were shafted by the NHS/Gov and spent way too-much on Terminals. Maybe there is an arguement to ban mobiles - but it isn't electromagnetic interference IMHO. However, I'd ban them in all Public places, Rail, bus, theatres etc etc. and esp hospitals Dr waiting rooms and anywhere where you need to keep yr thoughts to yourself. There is also an issue with camera-phones and the potential for a whole can of worms in respect of privacy when you are in a vunerable condition, or close to the end. For such "humanitarian" reasons such devices should be banned IMHO and that goes for all types of phones.

Still I'm not convinced Patientline has much longer to go, unless they come up with another income-stream....any ideas?

.

Hangon, I haven't read this comapny's financials, but on the face of what you've sketched out and what I heard on the BBC news last night, I have to agree with your last sentence.

SP is barely 1% of the 2001 peak. the co has already had a fire sale of assets according to RNS headlines. At the interims the NAV was negative. Plus I can't see hospital patients queueing up to pay even higher rates to use PTL's product - they'll just use their free minutes on their no-longer-banned mobiles.

Ulimately the NHs will benefit because if people use their own mobiles then the NHS won't have to facilitate the provision of telephones on the wards and patients who don't have mobiles will eihter have to use a house phone on a trolley as in the old days or use the payphone in the lobby.

PTL definitely one to avoid, IMO.

I think you are all missing a big part of Patientline,they dont only offer telephone service.They offer TV and Free radio,Now i for 1 would prefer to watch what i want if i was to be in hospital,rather than sit in a room full of people,were you always have the may person taking control of the remote control.Would any one wish to agree with me.

Good point, but will it save the company?

The company will be saved,as this was part of tony blair,portfolio of every hospital bedside having there own television and phone by 2010.I would be a great buy for a TV company like Sky or Ntl,or a telecommunication company whom already have the telephone section in place.A lot of money has been ploughed into patienline,so come on SKY you have the Sky talk to give patients cheaper calls,and you already have the TV channels,so you dont have to buy them in to show like patienline have to,i for 1 can see a very good buy if Sky decided to buy this company.

So, takeover is the answer?
Maybe for SKY - where they could feed incurables with endless football which could be selected on a "Let my team win" option, plus some electronic jiggery. However, if we are serious - SKY Sport is unlikely to be very popular IMHO - and getting patient excited (as in football) is not conducive to recovery.
Furthermore SKY could find this is a money-pit as more patients demand sky-sport and are unwilling to pay much for it. There is the specture of the NHS puting a cost-cap in place - this would seriously affect SKY, or, make then as unpopular as PTL.
No, I think another income-stream is needed - maybe training in some unusual disipline - and then you take students on a course you have devised - if they pass you pass also.....or win a cream bun...etc.

If you have 6-8 weeks in hospital you could come out with a string of winning qualifications.....that would be a result!
Maybe H&S training for those that fall off ladders - can't be too difficult:- prop up ladder, hold on, don't walk underneath....crikey, I've passed in under three weeks!

Back to PTL
- have they got the vision? - no.
Have they got the expertise - don't be silly.
Have they got the ability - oh dear, oh dear. - and finally -
Have they got the money? - ahem, no that's the trouble with PTL, isn't it? Short of ideas and short of cash to achieve it.
No, it doesn't look good - but the sp is up a tad today.
The fact that these teerminals will do more is more down to the NHS specifying their "Wish-list" - but PTL wasn't smart enough to get the hospital to pay a minimum "fee" per....so thaqt the first thousand X-rays would be free - since this would encourage Doctors to use the technology.....sadly they like written documents and x-rays off the camera as it were.

It's looking like D4E with the recent news and today's sp.
Really bad for early investors....something that should have been seen as draging the NHS into the 21c - but the funding for the kit was not going to come from Government....so Patientline was given the opportunity to lose money -
they singularly missed the trick of involving the Government in making good their income - so if they couldn't do this the first time round - WHAT makes anyone think they can in the future?
Sure, a cheap supply of kit will help - virtually starting with zero debt - argh! But wait.....will the Banks agree to this? It's not only private investors that were fleeced.....No I'm sorry I think that until someone in the NHS is prepared to pay for the kit, then Patientline, or Son-of- will be destined for failure.
Patients will always complain about the cost of TV/phones until it's a cheap as chips (since they are already paying for this kit at home!), So until Patientline (or -) gets an income of 5/wk gteed per terminal it's a non-starter as a business....indeed it might be closer to 10/wk.......Only when that is worked-out should anyone consider further investment. The NHS will be praising itself that it save 's - well it doesn't come out of this too well, being seen as penny-pinching by not using the records/X-ray facility built-into these terminals.

However, the basis of this business was flawed from the very start... er, IMHO.

Patientline PLC
28 September 2007


For Immediate Release 28 September 2007


Patientline plc (the 'Company') Trading Update


The Board reports that the anticipated and historically seen seasonal upturn in
trading during September has not yet materialised. In addition to the already
challenging operating environment, the recent instruction by OFCOM, whereby a
message is played to callers to 0700 numbers at the start of calls informing
them of the maximum potential cost of the call, seems to have been a major
factor in reducing incoming call revenues.


The OFCOM decision, which took effect from 1st September 2007, has the
misleading effect of telling callers of the maximum cost per minute of an 0700
call rather than the actual Patientline cost which is always lower and often
significantly lower.


As a result, revenues so far in September are materially below expectations. If
the current revenue trends continue then the liquidity position of the Company
will become increasingly tight towards the end of this calendar year. For this
reason the Board, as stated previously, continues to be in constructive
discussions with its banks with regards to restructuring its balance sheet in
advance of this time.


its going titsup.

NO MORE TV IN BED.

Tony Blair is history and Patientline will be too as Gordon Brown certainly couldn't give a @@@@ about his vision.

Is there some point to these sp graphs - it's woeful despite the sp rise.....grief there can't be many investors in positive territory, just punters looking to make a few bob.

Is Evil still short, or has he cashed-in? - that might explain the rise.