BT brings free VoIP calls to NHS Trusts

BT is offering NHS trusts in London, free connections to the N3 Local Gateway Service, as part of a pilot project in the capital.

The N3 broadband infrastructure is part of the £12.4bn modernisation of IT in the NHS, and will allow the organisation to benefit from a range of new services, including electronic prescriptions and a Picture Archiving and Communications digital X-ray system.

The N3 Local Gateway Service acts as an interface between a local telephone switch and the N3 Voice Core Services Central platform. It allows free VoIP calls to be made over the N3 network and provides access to the central mobile gateway, enabling reduced rate calls to mobile phones.

The N3 network connects surgeries, hospitals, community pharmacies and other NHS sites.

The only charges that NHS Trusts have to pay are the cost of a signalling interface card to connect to the N3 gateway, software configuration charges and a monthly management fee.

The system should help to significantly reduce the cost of participating Trust’s phone bills. Cost savings of up to 20% are expected.

Twenty-one London NHS Trusts are currently participating in the pilot scheme, which has been running for about two months, and another 26 are ready to come on board.