Elon Musk's Starlink to keep rural NHS GPs connected to the internet
The NHS has awarded a contract worth £85,000 to Starlink, which is part of Mr Musk's SpaceX, to help provide internet services to GP practices and administrative offices in the North East and North Cumbria.
The five-year contract with Durham-based NHS North of England covers the hardware and installation of 15 Starlink receivers, forming part of a wider programme to upgrade the health service's network connections.
Satellite technology is increasingly being used to tackle so-called not spots in remote rural areas, where it is not economically viable to provide mobile and broadband services to small pockets of the population.
Starlink is one of a number of companies vying to plug these gaps with constellations of low-earth orbit satellites that beam signals down from space.
However, the company has recently come under increasing scrutiny given Mr Musk's role in Donald Trump's White House administration.
The Tesla billionaire has recently threatened to switch off Starlink internet services in Ukraine as the US president seeks to force Ukraine into a peace deal with Russia.
On Sunday, Mr Musk claimed Ukraine's 'entire front line' would collapse if he switched off Starlink, which has so far played a crucial role in keeping the country connected to the internet during the war with Russia.
Starlink is not alone in operating across the satellite sector.
BT-owned EE and Virgin Media O2 are already trialling the technology, while Vodafone last week launched a new joint venture with Texas-based AST SpaceMobile to roll out satellite connectivity to users across the UK.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is gearing up for the launch of a rival service – Project Kuiper – in Britain as soon as this year.
Alongside the benefits to consumers, proponents of satellite services have long argued that the technology will be vital to support emergency services such as paramedics, police and firefighters.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service last year began installing Starlink receivers on its vehicles to help improve communication and location tracking in remote areas.
Improved connectivity has also been a priority for the NHS after the pandemic sparked a surge in demand for virtual consultations.
A spokesman for the NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) said: 'This procurement is part of a wider programme, launched in December 2023, to refresh the connectivity to the internet, HSCN [Health and Social Care Network is a new network that replaced N3] and NECS datacentres covering GP practices and NENC ICB offices.
'In order to ensure value for money and to address the unavailability of fibre technology in rural sites, the programme undertook a procurement for 15 Starlink receivers [hardware] and install services.
'Following implementation of the whole programme there will be fully encrypted protection to all secure traffic from the sites in the same way that VPN technologies provide for remote users. All NHS security considerations and governance will be provided, with NECS technical, security and governance teams closely involved.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
24 minutes ago
- STV News
Andrew Flintoff hails NHS staff who cared for him after car crash
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has praised the 'love and compassion' of NHS staff who cared for him after his car crash at a Top Gear test track. The former international cricketer visited hospital workers who looked after him in the aftermath of the accident, which he described as 'the lowest I've ever been'. In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear. His surgeon described Flintoff's case as one of the most complex he has ever seen. The former international cricketer was airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting – a major trauma centre. 'I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at St George's,' Flintoff said. 'I came here probably the lowest I've ever been, in need of help and the expertise, the love, the compassion they showed me was incredible. 'I'll be eternally grateful – absolute superheroes.' PA Media Andrew Flintoff visited surgeon Jahrad Haq (St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA). Recalling the incident, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon Jahrad Haq, said: 'I was on call that day and received a phone call from the emergency department consultant. 'A lot of injuries are managed at a more junior level before escalating, so I knew this one was serious. 'Of all the trauma cases I've seen in over 20 years, this was among the most complex.' Shamim Umarji, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, said: 'It's very rewarding when patients come back and you get to see them not just as patients, but as people. It's a real privilege. 'When you see their recovery, you remember how important our job is. 'It was wonderful to see Freddie again and his visit gave staff a real boost. He spent a lot of time chatting to everyone and it meant a lot.' PA Media Andrew Flintoff with Linda Holden, lead dental nurse (left) and Sonia Steer, principal orthodontic nurse (right) at St George's (St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA). Kate Slemeck, managing director for St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I'm incredibly proud of the care we provide at St George's. 'It's always heart-warming to hear from patients about the expert care, compassion and kindness they've received from our clinical and support teams, and this shows the lasting impact they have on people, long after they've left hospital.' During a documentary about the accident, Flintoff described how he used the split-second decision-making from his cricketing days to try to reduce the impact of the crash. He said he was 'pulled face-down on the runway' for about 50 metres under the car. The former England star said he thought he had died in the accident. For months after the crash Flintoff disappeared from public view and would leave his house only for medical appointments His recovery has been documented in a documentary, Flintoff, streamed on Disney+. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BreakingNews.ie
24 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Andrew Flintoff hails NHS staff who cared for him after car crash
Andrew Flintoff has praised the 'love and compassion' of NHS staff who cared for him after his car crash at a Top Gear test track. The former international cricketer and current England Lions and Northern Superchargers Men's coach visited hospital workers who looked after him in the aftermath of the accident, which he described as 'the lowest I've ever been'. Advertisement In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear. His surgeon described Flintoff's case as one of the most complex he has ever seen. Flintoff was airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting – a major trauma centre. 'I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at St George's,' Flintoff said. Advertisement 'I came here probably the lowest I've ever been, in need of help and the expertise, the love, the compassion they showed me was incredible. 'I'll be eternally grateful – absolute superheroes.' Andrew Flintoff visited surgeon Jahrad Haq (St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Recalling the incident, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon Jahrad Haq, said: 'I was on call that day and received a phone call from the emergency department consultant. 'A lot of injuries are managed at a more junior level before escalating, so I knew this one was serious. Advertisement 'Of all the trauma cases I've seen in over 20 years, this was among the most complex.' Shamim Umarji, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, said: 'It's very rewarding when patients come back and you get to see them not just as patients, but as people. It's a real privilege. 'When you see their recovery, you remember how important our job is. 'It was wonderful to see Freddie again and his visit gave staff a real boost. He spent a lot of time chatting to everyone and it meant a lot.' Advertisement Andrew Flintoff with Linda Holden, lead dental nurse (left) and Sonia Steer, principal orthodontic nurse (right) at St George's (St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Kate Slemeck, managing director for St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I'm incredibly proud of the care we provide at St George's. 'It's always heart-warming to hear from patients about the expert care, compassion and kindness they've received from our clinical and support teams, and this shows the lasting impact they have on people, long after they've left hospital.' During a documentary about the accident, Flintoff described how he used the split-second decision-making from his cricketing days to try to reduce the impact of the crash. He said he was 'pulled face-down on the runway' for about 50 metres under the car. Advertisement The former England star said he thought he had died in the accident. For months after the crash Flintoff disappeared from public view and would leave his house only for medical appointments His recovery has been documented in a documentary, Flintoff, streamed on Disney+.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Andrew Flintoff hails NHS staff who cared for him after car crash
Andrew Flintoff has praised the 'love and compassion' of NHS staff who cared for him after his car crash at a Top Gear test track. The former international cricketer and current England Lions and Northern Superchargers Men's coach visited hospital workers who looked after him in the aftermath of the accident, which he described as 'the lowest I've ever been'. In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear. His surgeon described Flintoff's case as one of the most complex he has ever seen. Flintoff was airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting – a major trauma centre. 'I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at St George's,' Flintoff said. 'I came here probably the lowest I've ever been, in need of help and the expertise, the love, the compassion they showed me was incredible. 'I'll be eternally grateful – absolute superheroes.' Recalling the incident, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon Jahrad Haq, said: 'I was on call that day and received a phone call from the emergency department consultant. 'A lot of injuries are managed at a more junior level before escalating, so I knew this one was serious. 'Of all the trauma cases I've seen in over 20 years, this was among the most complex.' Shamim Umarji, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, said: 'It's very rewarding when patients come back and you get to see them not just as patients, but as people. It's a real privilege. 'When you see their recovery, you remember how important our job is. 'It was wonderful to see Freddie again and his visit gave staff a real boost. He spent a lot of time chatting to everyone and it meant a lot.' Kate Slemeck, managing director for St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I'm incredibly proud of the care we provide at St George's. 'It's always heart-warming to hear from patients about the expert care, compassion and kindness they've received from our clinical and support teams, and this shows the lasting impact they have on people, long after they've left hospital.' During a documentary about the accident, Flintoff described how he used the split-second decision-making from his cricketing days to try to reduce the impact of the crash. He said he was 'pulled face-down on the runway' for about 50 metres under the car. The former England star said he thought he had died in the accident. For months after the crash Flintoff disappeared from public view and would leave his house only for medical appointments His recovery has been documented in a documentary, Flintoff, streamed on Disney+.
