Wifi to be brought in for Doncaster hospital visitors

Doncaster Royal Infirmary has introduced free Wi-Fi for visitors, installing the free service in time for the festive period so patients can easily contact loved ones if they're spending Christmas in hospital.
Visitors taking advantage of wifi at Doncaster Royal InfirmaryVisitors taking advantage of wifi at Doncaster Royal Infirmary
Visitors taking advantage of wifi at Doncaster Royal Infirmary

Launched in two formats, ‘Public’ and ‘Ward’, wireless Internet is being made available to visitors of the Trust waiting for appointments, allowing them to browse sites. 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 if they can’t easily visit.

The service is being rolled out at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Montagu Hospital.

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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.”

There are some restrictions on what can be viewed, but most 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 ensuring it remains totally separate from the Trust’s internal network to ensure it remains secure.

Richard Parker, chief executive at the trust, said: “I am delighted that we are able to offer our patients the ability to connect to WiFi, 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.”