Bassetlaw Hospital roll out free Wi-Fi in time for Christmas

The Trust that runs Bassetlaw Hospital has introduced free Wi-Fi for patients and visitors.
WifiWifi
Wifi

The new service has been installed in time for the festive period so that patients can Skype, FaceTime and easily contact loved ones if they’re spending Christmas in hospital.

Launched in two formats, ‘Public’ and ‘Ward’, wireless Internet is available to visitors waiting for appointments, allowing them to browse sites such as Facebook and BBC News.

In addition, a more substantial service is open to those staying at the hospital for an extended period of time- allowing them to stream films as well as make video calls in order to speak to relatives and friends.

The service has also been successfully rolled out at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Montagu Hospital.

Bassetlaw Hospital is set to receive an upgrade to communications equipment in order to ensure coverage for those staying on wards.

Simon Marsh, chief information officer at the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Trust, said: “This is a fantastic development for the Trust and I want to thank the IT team for their hard work in getting this service up-and-running in time for Christmas.

“We are always working towards making the best use of technology within the organisation, offering our patients not only the highest quality care, but also the means in which to make their visit or stay that bit more enjoyable and connected.”

For security and sensible use, there are some restrictions on what can be viewed, but the vast majority of popular sites will be available free of charge, with users asked to agree to an acceptable use policy.

This service has been designed and installed by the Trust’s in-house IT team, who have provided it at minimal cost, using existing links and technology, while making sure it remains totally separate from the Trust’s internal network to ensure it remains secure.

Richard Parker, chief executive at DBTH, said: “I am delighted that we are able to offer our patients the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, especially as we near Christmas Day.

“Friends and family can sometimes struggle to visit relatives staying in hospital, and with this long-requested development, we will be able to offer our patients the ability to use services such FaceTime and Skype in order to get in touch with loved ones throughout Christmas, making them feel a little bit more connected, despite staying in hospital.”

Patients and visitors who would like to use the Wi-Fi should visit https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/wi-fi-trust to find out how to access it on Trust premises.