UCLH streamlines voice traffic management
University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) has installed an advanced communications infrastructure that will control most of the 1.2 million plus calls received every month. The new call management system built on Telewest Business’ SRS Advanced Solutions has enabled UCLH to launch a single ‘0845’ contact number to control incoming voice traffic. Calls to […]
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Ofcom investigation dents Patientline results
Patientline, the supplier of bedside phones and entertainment for patients, has reported a 39% increase in pre-tax losses, due partly to an Ofcom investigation into its NHS contracts and incoming call charges. In addition, chairman, Derek Lewis, reports: “The financial stresses within the NHS and the delays in implementation of the major IT programme, Connecting […]
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NHS telecoms fraud survey taken on by consultancy
An international consultancy company has stepped in to fill what it says is a hole in NHS telecommunications fraud prevention services created since the wind-up of the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA). Steve Mason, senior consultant at Vega, previously worked in telecoms fraud prevention at the NHSIA before it was disbanded in April. After most of the NHSIA’s responsibilities […]
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NHS broadband plans thrown into confusion
The roll-out plans for new NHS broadband network (N3) look to be in some disarray after the future of the regional bodies charged with aggregating public sector broadband purchasing, including that of the NHS – was thrown into uncertainty. In February 2004 the Department of Health awarded a £530 million, seven-year contract with BT to […]
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Plymouth moves to IP telephony
NHS organisations in Plymouth are beginning the roll-out of one of the largest Internet Protocol (IP)-based telephone implementations yet seen in the NHS, in a move that should deliver £600,000 in savings. The Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust (PHNT) and Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust have signed a ten-year £1.2 million deal with Mitel and HP […]
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BT awarded NHS broadband contract
BT has won the N3 (New National Network) contract to provide and manage a broadband network to link all NHS organisations in England, health minister, John Hutton, announced today. As had been widely anticipated, BT was chosen ahead Cable and Wireless for the N3 contract, which will see it act as integrator, rather than as a broadband service provider iteself. […]
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EDS pulls out of bidding for N3 contract
EDS has pulled out of the bidding for the N3 contract to provide the NHS with a new broadband network that will underpin the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) project to modernise NHS IT systems. The N3 network will be vital to the success of the central electronic patient record, the NHS Care Records Service, […]
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Chair of NHS Direct announced
The Department of Health has appointed David Edmonds CBE as chair of NHS Direct, his appointment comes in advance of the establishment of NHS Direct as a special health authority in April 2004. Announcing the appointment, for an initial period of four years, health minister Rosie Winterton, said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Mr […]
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Long Term Approach to IT Reform for NHS Wales
A long term commitment to transforming healthcare using information and IT is outlined in NHS Wales’ new strategy, Informing Healthcare. The emphasis of the early part of the implementation will be on legacy management and ensuring that the service is ready to run with the changes. Informing Healthcare says the most commonly cited cause of […]
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Biggest Benefits Yet to Come for e-Pharma
Conservatism has served the pharmaceutical industry well in the early stages of the Internet revolution, but it now needs to furiously innovate and even sometimes "fail" to harness the potential of new technology. While many other industries were swept along by the hype and early promise of e-commerce the pharmaceutical industry largely took a more […]
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