Ubiquitous coverage planned by next year, minister claims
Nineteen out of every 20 NHS hospitals across England now offers free WiFi connections to staff, patients, and visitors.
In response to a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, minister for mental health Jackie Doyle-Price said that free WiFi is now available at 203 of the 216 acute, community, and mental health NHS hospital trusts across England. This equates to 94% coverage.
The government first revealed its intention to roll out free WiFi services throughout all NHS hospitals in England in late 2015. The goal is to deliver ubiquitous coverage by the end of this year. Doyle-Price indicated that the NHS remains on track to hit this target.
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“All NHS trusts plan to provide free WiFi by 2020,” she said.
Work is also taking place to deliver free connections to all GP surgeries in England
“NHS WiFi will provide a secure, stable, and reliable WiFi capability, consistent across all NHS settings,” said the NHS Digital website. “It will allow patients and the public to download health apps, browse the internet and access health and care information.
“Having a reliable, consistent and secure connection to the internet through NHS WiFi has a range of benefits for patients and staff. It helps everyone use the increasing range of digital services available, making care more efficient and helping patients take control of their own health and care.”