28 June 2006

New technology is to be employed by Durham NHS, designed to provide better digital accessibility to vital medical information for professionals.

County Durham Hospitals NHS trust is to use the new equipment, which will enable doctors and nurse to carry patient information to the bedside.

The system will also allow the trust's radiologists to view X-ray data in their own homes, potentially drastically reducing the time taken in diagnosing the patient.

Based on a virtual private network, wireless network will allow handheld devices with access to information to be transported around the hospital.

Steven Dodd, Durham's associate director of information technology, believes that the ability to view patient information at the bedside is imperative.

"To be able to do things such as X-rays at the bedside and share information with patients has been an aim for some time," he told vnunet.

"We also want to be able to organise tests, and viewing of results online is a key priority," he added.

Throughout the NHS, system-wide improvements, including IT improvements, are set to improve patient care and save the service around £700 million per year.

© Adfero Ltd

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