A firm that provides phone services at thousands of NHS hospital bedsides is to increase the cost of calls by 160%.

Previously, calls made by NHS patients through Patientline phones cost 10p per minute, but that will now rise to 26p.

Patientline, a private company, told the BBC it had invested £160m in the system and needed to recoup its costs and make a profit.

In 2005, the firm was investigated by regulators over its charges, but was cleared of any wrongdoing.