Underpinning the future of healthcare delivery, the ‘full fibre’ broadband network will also bring greater capacity and resilience to the local healthcare network across Broxbourne, East Herts, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford districts.
The experience of our local communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the critical importance of online connectivity for our GP surgeries and this investment will support even greater potential adoption of digital approaches such as virtual appointments and the remote monitoring of patient conditions in their own homes.
Following a 9-month delivery phase the Essex + Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) has completed the connection of 74 GP surgeries across West Essex and East Hertfordshire to gigabit-capable fibre broadband. The full fibre upgrade to these 74 GPs will also benefit thousands of residential and business premises located within a short distance of the surgeries, enabling them to access ultrafast speeds and make the most of our increasingly digital world.
Cllr Linda Haysey, Vice-Chair of the DIZ and Leader of East Herts Council said:
“The DIZ was established to bring the benefits to all our residents and to enable investment to be secured that would not have been available to smaller areas acting alone. The achievement of this funding and the build-out of this network, will really benefit health provision and is a ringing endorsement of this approach.”
The project was led by the DIZ in partnership with West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (WECCG), Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), East & North Herts Clinical Commissioning group (ENHCCG) and Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Luton ICT Shared Services (HBLICT). The project was supported by Epping Forest District Council and Essex County Council with additional support from Hertfordshire County Council and Broxbourne, East Herts, Harlow and Uttlesford district councils.
Working closely with the health partners, as well as their respective communications providers Capita and Redcentric, the DIZ has delivered this network through Openreach.
Further information is available at www.diz.org.uk
