BT wins NHS broadband contract

The NHS has inked a £168m deal with BT to link GPs and hospitals with broadband internet connections.

According to the BBC, the high-speed network is part of the NHS modernisation programme, which includes booking patient appointments online, making patient records available to all healthcare staff and the electronic transfer of prescriptions.

A spokesman for BT Retail said that the upgrade is one of the largest within the public sector.

The aim is for doctors to take advantage of the network to perform online diagnoses using imaging or video conferencing.

It could also mean that smaller hospitals will be able to treat patients locally, using online experts to guide them.

A spokesman for the NHS Information Authority, which runs the NHS network, claimed that the deal will mean a more streamlined health service.

"NHS networking has grown at a phenomenal rate during the past 12 months, demonstrating that healthcare professionals are making the most of the modern communication tools to access and share information quickly," he said.