§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the acceptability to GP practices of NHSNet in respect of(a) security, (b) cost and (c) speed relative to other internet providers. [78924]
§ Mr. DenhamThe NHSNet is a private communications network dedicated to national health service purposes and as such it is fundamentally more secure than equivalent public networks such as the internet.
The initial cost of connecting general practitioners to NHSNet will be met from modernisation funds. GPs will have to meet any increased costs related to telephone call charges and this is estimated to be £400 per practice per annum in the first instance. However, this cost will be treated as a practice expense and will be met indirectly through the expenses element in the gross fees and allowances paid to GPs.
NHSNet is capable of delivering information as quickly as the best internet providers.