Private healthcare provider Circle plans to deploy a Wi-Fi network so that nurses and other staff working at Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust can input data via mobile devices when they are working around the hospital. The wireless network will allow nursing and other staff to carry out administrative work at the bedside according to an interview in The Guardian with Gary Mudie, Circle’s IT director. The company was notable for being the first non-government health provider to run a general-purpose hospital in the UK when it took over Hinchingbrooke in February this year under a ten-year contract.

Circle also wants approval for patients to use their mobile handsets in many parts of the hospital. This would be an alternative to introducing its own internal phone system for patients. A new inhouse patient entertainment system is also planned too.

Introducing Wi-Fi to a hospital can have other uses in addition to offering more flexibility to staff. The wireless network can also be used to keep track of valuable medical equipment. However Circle did not mention whether this was part of their plans. Orange recently added WiF-based equipment tracking to its Connected Hospital service. At the same time the mobile operator also announced a multimedia terminal that could be used to deliver both data and entertainment to patients (Circle does not mention whether they are looking to deliver entertainment via such a terminal).  However the company is considering the deployment of RFID wireless tagging to track patients which is again another time-saving measure for staff.