Over $12 million has been spent by NHS Digital on technological equipment to help with remote working during the pandemic.
The number of laptops, tablets, and mobile phones acquired by NHS Digital over the previous five years as well as the average cost per item have been determined using data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and analyzed by the Parliament Street think tank.
NHS Digital spent approximately $650,000 on 7,767 electronic devices between November 2019 and October 2021, when the pandemic was at its worst. This represents 53% of the device budget over the previous five years.
Mobile phones made up 5,548 (42.7%) of the gadgets purchased, with laptops accounting for more than half of those (56.5%). Over the course of five years, just 89 tablets were bought.
The announcement follows a significant ransomware assault earlier this year on Advanced, a software provider to the NHS, which compromised patient data and left behind impacts that are still being felt three months later.
“With the advent of a work-from-anywhere world, large organisations like NHS Digital should be commended for their investment in devices to allow staff and patients to connect no matter where they are. Particularly during the pandemic, the adoption of remote technology has become the most favourable working model and the investment in technology for staff will comprise part of the network infrastructure for businesses for many years to come.”Achi Lewis, Area VP EMEA, Absolute Software
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