NHS patients in Moray may soon be able to use free Wi-Fi to help them through the tedium of being confined to a hospital bed.
NHS Grampian has revealed that they are to introduce free access to the internet at all their facilities in a technology investment of around £65,000.
The new service is already being trialled as several facilities with the first permanent coverage likely to be rolled out in the near future.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “We are seeing more and more patients using modern technology such as smartphones, laptops and tablet PCs.
“Communication via the internet is something that most of us take for granted but if you are in a hospital bed and you suddenly don’t have that facility on your own device it can be quite frustrating.
“By upgrading or purchasing new wireless controllers we will be able to offer free Wi-Fi to give patients more flexibility and control over the way they communicate while they are on NHS Grampian premises.”
With patients in the NHS Grampian area often having to spend time in a hospital that is some way from their homes the new service is being seen as a perfect way to compensate for fewer visitors because of the distances involved.
The spokeswoman added: “As well as providing entertainment, internet access will allow patients to communicate to friends, family and carers in a number of ways.”