Pledge by telecommunications industry to support NHS during COVID-19

The UK government has released a statement in conjunction with many key players in the telecoms industry to announce their elevated support during the COVID-19 crisis. Companies such as BT, Virgin Media and Sky have committed to support the NHS with its increased need for connectivity as many essential services have moved online.

WHY IT MATTERS

Because of the strictures presented by the government to try and stop the spread of COVID-19, there has been a shift towards a digital-first approach where possible in the NHS. This means an increased number of remote consultations with many clinicians having to use their personal devices to conduct them.

In response, these major companies have agreed to provide confirmed NHS workers with the data, call and text access they need to offer remote consultations at no extra cost. They will upgrade NHS workers’ broadband speeds as required to facilitate remote work, sometimes at no extra cost. They will also improve connectivity in care homes and supply full-scale telecoms access to the emergency hospitals being built to combat the virus.