Great Western Hospital patients, visitors and staff get communications boost from Swindon based international hi-tech company Intel.

New mums at Swindon's can now email pictures of their newborn babies to friends and family and sick children can access the internet from their beds thanks to internet connection terminals located in key areas throughout the hospital for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff alike.

This includes installing a kiosk in the maternity ward equipped with the latest PentiumŽ 4 PCs and a digital camera which means parents can take pictures of their newborn babies and send via email, to friends and family within hours of their birth!

Sick children in the paediatric ward, will now be able to easily access the internet from their beds using wirelessly enabled laptop computers, along with other PCs, printers and approved educational software which Intel have donated.

Graham Palmer, Intel's UK Country Marketing Manager said, "we are delighted to be able to share the technology we develop with such a good cause. Hopefully helping people keep in touch with their friends and family and keep even up to date on their homework will make their stay in hospital a little more bearable."

Other facilities provided by Intel include four Internet kiosks throughout the hospital that will allow access and links to key systems such as the 'Patient Information Centre and an education centre comprising of two conference rooms being converted to A/V capability complete with projector, screen, desktop PC, laptop point, DVD player, VCR and associated control equipment.

Chris Birdsall, Communications Manager for the Trust said, "this is an extremely generous donation and one that will make a big difference to our patients. Computers have become very much a part of every day life for people nowadays and to have these facilities in our hospital is absolutely superb."