Public spending cuts and an imminent shake-up of the NHS will put the onus of healthcare provision heavily onto frontline workers - which means they will need all the help they can get from technology to maximise the use of their limited time and resources. Having already provided the underlying software infrastructure in many NHS organisations, Microsoft has now turned its attention to a portable device that could transform the lives of healthcare professionals. Paul Curran went behind the scenes to find out more.

The government’s plans for the NHS will undoubtedly increase demands on the skills of healthcare staff and their IT colleagues, says James Randall, Channel Sales Manager at CMS Computers. “Ambitions to provide greater choice, to enable patients to control their own records, and to improve the commissioning of health services will all need to be underpinned by excellent IT. Sadly, most computer devices used in healthcare - from the ‘carts on wheels’ to the conventional laptop with its keyboard and mouse - tend to be invasive and inconvenient in a clinical care setting.”

And whilst there are already mobile devices out there, none offer the affordability, richness of user experience or high level of security required by today’s healthcare environment, adds Randall. Until now, that is. CMS is the exclusive distributor of an innovative Slate PC designed specifically for UK healthcare organisations;

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs/content/articles/slate-pc-brings-the-personal-ouch-to-healthcare.aspx