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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| WHSmith 'sorry' for Pinderfields Hospital £7.99 toothpaste | WHSmith 'sorry' for Pinderfields Hospital £7.99 toothpaste |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| WHSmith has admitted it made more than £700 by selling single tubes of toothpaste for £7.99 in a hospital. | WHSmith has admitted it made more than £700 by selling single tubes of toothpaste for £7.99 in a hospital. |
| The Pinderfields Hospital branch in Wakefield was caught selling Colgate, normally priced at £2.49, by a visitor. | The Pinderfields Hospital branch in Wakefield was caught selling Colgate, normally priced at £2.49, by a visitor. |
| The retailer blamed a pricing error and said proceeds from the sales would be donated to charity St George's Crypt. | The retailer blamed a pricing error and said proceeds from the sales would be donated to charity St George's Crypt. |
| In 2015, WHSmith was accused of exploiting hospital customers after the BBC found it was charging less on the high street. | In 2015, WHSmith was accused of exploiting hospital customers after the BBC found it was charging less on the high street. |
| The retailer said 89 tubes of toothpaste had been sold in the Pinderfields shop while they were priced at £7.99. | The retailer said 89 tubes of toothpaste had been sold in the Pinderfields shop while they were priced at £7.99. |
| A spokeswoman said: "We would like to apologise to our customers for a recent pricing error in our system relating to this product." | A spokeswoman said: "We would like to apologise to our customers for a recent pricing error in our system relating to this product." |
| She added: "The error has been rectified and changed to the correct price of £2.49." | She added: "The error has been rectified and changed to the correct price of £2.49." |
| Reacting to the story, BBC presenter and cancer blogger Rachael Bland described it as a "wider problem". She said she paid £5.99 for painkillers while receiving treatment at the Christie in Manchester. | |
| Neil Wilson said it highlighted problems with NHS outsourcing, as this created "captive markets ripe for price gouging". | |
| The BBC investigation in 2015 found that people were paying 89p more for a 750ml bottle of water and £1.50 more for an A4 refill pad at Pinderfields compared to a store of WHSmith in Leeds. | |
| After pressure from Dewsbury MP Paula Sheriff, the firm said it would match stationery prices and cut food and drink costs. | After pressure from Dewsbury MP Paula Sheriff, the firm said it would match stationery prices and cut food and drink costs. |
| St George's Crypt, which is based in Leeds, provides support to homeless, vulnerable and people suffering from addiction. | St George's Crypt, which is based in Leeds, provides support to homeless, vulnerable and people suffering from addiction. |
| Have you seen high prices in hospital shops? Please share your experience with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
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