Why it is important for NHS sites to be Friendly WiFi certified

All of us at some point throughout the year are likely to visit a hospital whether it is for treatment, appointments or simply visiting a friend or relative. The digital landscape is very different to how it was even 5 years ago, with most hospitals now offering a WiFi service for patients, visitors and staff. This is great for staff engagement and performance and a welcome service for patients whilst having to stay in hospital and visitors who are waiting for appointments or visiting loved ones.

We all would expect hospitals to be safe environments where our health and well being is at the forefront of what they do – is this the case with the WiFi service that is provided for everyone?

Exposure to indecent images and inappropriate material is a serious health risk to kids and young adults and content that parents wouldn’t want their family to be exposed to or in fact be exposed to themselves. Upon visiting some hospitals and using their WiFi, it became very apparent that pornographic material was easily accessed and available for anyone to view – not good peace of mind for families with their loved ones staying in or visiting a hospital.

This is why the Friendly WiFi certification is so important. Any hospital or NHS site that display the Friendly WiFi symbol is showing that their WiFi service is blocking access to indecent images and pornographic material – this provides peace of mind and ensures a safe and comfortable browsing environment for all.

Friendly WiFi work directly with NHS sites and are also proud to be working with WiFi Spark who are providing the option to have the Friendly WiFi certification and are providing an increasing number of hospitals and trust sites that are certified and protecting their visitors, patients and staff from harmful material online.