£3.5 million for Wi-Fi at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg UHB

Singleton Hospital and community hospitals at Glanrhyd, Gorseinon, Maesteg and Tonna will all benefit from the significant investment that will:

• Help clinicians wirelessly access information about patients at their bedside through the Welsh Clinical portal. 
  
  
• Provide improved connectivity to allow patients to keep in touch with their family and friends.
  
  
• Replace the aging bleep system with a more modern and effective solution, improving response times and increasing patient safety and quality of care.

The announcement is part of Informed health and care, the Welsh Government’s digital health and social care strategy for Wales.

Announcing the funding, Vaughan Gething said: 

“We want modern and effective technology to be used in all care settings in Wales, helping our doctors and nurses provide the best levels of care.

“The benefits of the funding I’m announcing today will be clear to see. Not only will it improve patient care, allowing clinicians to access information about them wirelessly at their bedside, they’ll also be able to stay in touch with friends and loved ones while they are undergoing or recovering from treatment.

“A modern NHS deserves a modern internet infrastructure. We expect nothing less in the 21st Century. With the money we are providing to the health board today, ABMU will be able to deliver just that.”

Hamish Laing, ABMU medical director and chief information officer said:

"This is great news for our patients, visitors and staff. ABMU was the first Health Board in Wales to offer free public Wi-Fi in some of our hospitals and when complete, this investment will allow us to offer it in every hospital in ABMU, including our community hospitals. Not only will this improve the experience for our patients and staff but it is fundamental to our plan to give clinicians information at their fingertips at the bedside and in the clinics."