Broadband NHS is in the pipeline

The NHS is planning the first truly national broadband network.

The contract for NHSnet, which connects all hospitals, health authorities and GPs, ends in 2004. Computing can reveal that talks are already underway about a high-speed replacement.

The existing narrowband network is used for emails and simple applications such as referrals and test results.

But the future must lie with broadband, says NHS Information Authority head of access to information, Carrie Armitage. She says connections need to run at speeds of at least 2Mbps to cope with advances in clinical software.

"Everyone is crying out for more bandwidth just to support everyday applications. The next network for the NHS really has to be broadband," she said.Bandwidth-hungry applications such as the electronic patient records scheme, pathology messaging and radiology imaging, would make specialist information and expertise available to all, regardless of location. But patchy availability will be a problem.

"The problem is that the more remote areas are the ones that need it the most," she said.

The government's strategy, led by ecommerce minister Douglas Alexander, is to use the combined weight of public sector broadband requirements as an incentive for commercial telecoms suppliers to invest in a national infrastructure. NHSnet is an opportunity to test the policy.

The contract for central government's secure intranet is also up for renewal by 2003.

"We have about three months to work out what we are going to do," said George Harrold, commercial director of OGC buying.solutions, the government's purchasing arm.