Royal Berkshire Hospital has announced the start of a revolutionary wi-fi system to help with patient care. Signals can be transmitted throughout the hospital to wireless enabled PDAs to allow doctors and consultants to view essential medical data without having to plug in to the network. The information is zapped instantly around the building via wireless transmitters allowing access from anywhere in the hospital. Doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Decisions Unit and Hopkins Ward will be piloting the system before it is installed across the whole of the hospital.

Mobile phones on the other hand are not allowed in wards, where calls from the bedside cost from just 26p a minute (minimum call charge is 40p) and calls to the bedside cost 39p per minute off-peak and 49p at all other times (off peak rates are 6pm - 8am Mon to Fri and all weekends, peak rates apply at other times).