Patients and visitors to Bassetlaw Hospital will now be able to take advantage of free WiFi when they visit the hospital.
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals have introduced free WiFi for visitors in two formats – Public and Ward.
Visitors waiting for appointments will be able to use the Public service and browse sites such as BBC News and Facebook.
And the more substantial Ward format, which will be open to those staying at the hospital for an “extended period of time”, will be able to stream films and make video calls to friends and relatives.
The service has been successfully rolled out at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Montagu Hospital and Bassetlaw Hospital, with the latter 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 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.”
There are some restrictions on what can be viewed, with users asked to agree a sensible use policy – but the vast majority of sites will be available free of charge
The 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.
And they have ensured it remains separate from the Trust’s internal network for security reasons.
Richard Parker, chief executive at DBTH, said: “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.”
