MOBILE phone bans in hospitals could be lifted following new guidance from an expert body.
And areas designated for mobile phone use would help both patients and staff, says the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Patients cannot make a mobile phone call from inside Huddersfield Royal Infirmary at present.
Phones can interfere with sensitive equipment - particularly in areas like intensive care.
However, the MHRA now says the value of mobile phones outweighs the dangers.
By having clearly signposted areas where phones can be used, communication for both staff and patients could be greatly improved.
Professor Kent Woods, chief executive of the MHRA commented: "Some mobile devices can cause interference with critical medical equipment and it is important these are turned off where a risk exists.
"However there is no reason why mobile phone technology can't be used in designated areas of hospitals where there is little or no risk of interference."
He added: "Mobile technology can be an easy and quick way for staff to communicate."
Last year, the MHRA carried out a study of the effects of mobile communications, including emergency radios, security radios, pagers and mobile phones, on 178 medical devices such as pacemakers and diagnostic machines.
Four per cent of devices suffered interference from mobile phones at a distance of one metre, with under 0.1% showing serious effects.
An HRI spokeswoman said an outright ban would be reviewed. She added: "The Trust's priority is to ensure the safety of our patients and for that reason there are currently restrictions on the use of mobile phones in areas where there may be a possibility of risk of interference to medical equipment.
"These provisions will be reviewed in the light of this new guidance. However, no changes will be made until a thorough assessment of the situation has been carried out."
