SHOP bosses are being accused of cashing in on visiting relatives and patients at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by hiking up prices on everyday goods such as tissues and grapes.
Unison, the public sector union, and the Scotland Patients Association (SPA), have both hit out following complaints from relatives of patients.
The hospital was built by Consort as part of a PPP scheme in 2003, and NHS Lothian has no control over who runs businesses in the foyer, or what prices they charge.
The main shop is managed by United News Shops (UNS) and prices are higher than in the supermarket. Packs of disposable tissues, for example, cost £2.79 – more than double than the price in Scotmid – and Lucozade 40 per cent higher at £1.39.
Grapes are almost four times as expensive – shoppers at the ERI pay £1.39 for 125 grams, while at Scotmid 500g cost only slightly more at £1.49.
Critics say UNS is taking advantage of a captive market.
Mick McGahey, Unison branch secretary for NHS Lothian's University Hospitals Division, said: "We've had complaints about this from day one.
"It's not just the shop but throughout the foyer. People find it very expensive. We've never been supportive of the prices that are charged there.
"They have a captive audience and although we've complained it has fallen on deaf ears.
"It has nothing to do with the health board, and we have taken our concerns to Consort but they don't seem interested.
"Their only interest is money but this is a constant problem for people and must be a nightmare for relatives.
We get complaints, but we are powerless to do anything about it."
Dr Jean Turner, chief executive of the SPA, added: "The problem is that the ERI is so isolated. If you are going to build a hospital so far away the decent thing to do is have shops that are not extortionate.
"People have travelled a great distance and find themselves a captive market, that's very unfair. People are paying more for fuel, and they have to pay for hospital parking. It is all so expensive."
Consort and UNS denied having had complaints from customers. Consort also said it had had no contact with Unison about the prices in the shop.
Roger Swift, managing director of UNS, said: "We've had no complaints whatsoever from anyone in Edinburgh. We are very interested in complaints and run one price structure throughout our 72 sites.
"We've had very few complaints (nationwide] but it is hard to compete with supermarkets, which do run non-profit making lines which we cannot compete with."
A Consort spokeswoman added: "Prices are standard in United News outlets throughout the country.
"Consort has had no complaints from users of the retail facility at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or from Unison.
"We are satisfied with the service United News provides."
Hospital retailer United News Shops also runs outlets in Glasgow's Royal Infirmary and Victoria Infirmary, as well as dozens of other hospital shops, including Liverpool, Manchester and London.
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www.unshospitals.co.uk•
www.consorthealthcare.com•
www.scotlandpatients.com•
www.unison.org.ukThe full article contains 530 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
