Alice Chambers |
Healthcare provider NHS England will equip 1.5 million members of its workforce with Microsoft 365 productivity tools to enhance care and maximise time for care as part of a new five-year agreement with Microsoft.
NHS will use Microsoft’s artificial intelligence technologies to develop new applications enabled by Microsoft Teams, which was first rolled out across the organisation in March 2020 and has saved more than 17 million hours of time for employees. The apps aim to improve workplace processes, support better outcomes for patients and improve work life for NHS staff.
“This new five-year agreement will mean we can create a platform for innovation so that NHS workers always have the latest digital tools to help them focus on frontline care,” said John Quinn, chief information officer at NHS England. “As the NHS turns 75, this deal is part of a long history of the health service adapting to make use of the latest and greatest innovations available to deliver more productive and joined-up services for patients, and gives us a strong platform to build on for the future.”
The agreement will also enable the NHS to benefit from Microsoft security solutions to protect its people data and assets.
“Microsoft is delighted to be able provide modern workplace tools that will enable clinicians and support staff to focus on what matters most – caring for patients,” said Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK. “This agreement will ensure that NHS organisations can accelerate their recovery from Covid-19, reform ways of working through collaboration tools and build resilience through a modern, secure, cloud-based infrastructure.”