Free IT training programme for NHS staff

SpanielsGalore

Microsoft have launched a new e-learning initiative to help NHS staff improve their IT skills.

The training resources, which are free of charge to all employees with an NHS email address, can be used by both beginners and IT experts and can be completed anywhere staff have internet access.

Each exercise takes between five and fifteen minutes to complete and a whole lesson should take no more than an hour.

Talking about the initiative, John Coulthard, director of healthcare at Microsoft said: ‘We believe that effective use of technology is absolutely vital for the future of the NHS. However, introducing new systems is pointless unless we invest in the people who will be using this technology every day.’

Any staff who register at https://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs before 15 January 2007 will be entered into a draw to win an Xbox 360.

To take the training go to: https://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs/elearning

xycom1

Even better - a free copy of Microsoft Office for home use for NHS employees!

dealseeker

xycom1 wrote:

Even better - a free copy of Microsoft Office for home use for NHS employees!

Superb.
Hadn't heard about this and will give it a try!

814man

"NHS employees are set to become some of the first people in the UK to get copies of Microsoft Office 2007 when it ships early next year.

Thanks to the Home User Scheme of the NHS's Enterprise Wide Agreement with Microsoft, health service employees will only have to pay a fraction of the standard price to be among the first to get hold of the full copies of Microsoft's new Office software. "

The above is from a press release. As an NHS IT Manager can I just add that for NHS staff this represents excellent value (although unfortunately not completely free). It will be available from http://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs/default.mspx

Chuffy

We bought office XP-Pro via this scheme earlier in the year and it was only about £17 delivered.
Superb value, I know not free like open office, but this retails at £459!!!

everythingblogcast

So unfair that the NHS are getting free stuff from Microsoft and other services in the UK are not. Come on Microsoft.

814man

everythingblogcast
I dont actually think that it is Microsoft you should aim at here. The NHS agreement was negotiated and is paid for by the NHS, a number of other large public services also have similar agreements (some Local Authorities, MOD etc). Its about seeing if the one that you work for has, and then see if their terms have the same benefits as the NHS one which I am familiar with.
Most large software companies are quite happy to let their products, which they sell to organisations, be made available to the staff for home use as well. Vendors of anti-virus product are a good example. Sophos, McAfee etc will allow staff employed by an organisation that has a corporate licence with them to be allowed to use the product on their home computers as well.

cookiemonster25

everythingblogcast wrote:

So unfair that the NHS are getting free stuff from Microsoft and other services in the UK are not. Come on Microsoft.

what so unfair is that proffesionals in the nhs still dont get equal pay to proffesionals such as teachers etc so lets not winge about the fact that they get a freebie and also put p with so much cr**
big:T :T for ALL nhs STAFF

kopper

Great !! Signing up now !

everythingblogcast

814man wrote:

everythingblogcast
I dont actually think that it is Microsoft you should aim at here. The NHS agreement was negotiated and is paid for by the NHS, a number of other large public services also have similar agreements (some Local Authorities, MOD etc). Its about seeing if the one that you work for has, and then see if their terms have the same benefits as the NHS one which I am familiar with.
Most large software companies are quite happy to let their products, which they sell to organisations, be made available to the staff for home use as well. Vendors of anti-virus product are a good example. Sophos, McAfee etc will allow staff employed by an organisation that has a corporate licence with them to be allowed to use the product on their home computers as well.

Other service like the police and mod the members/employee has to pay for them. And the NHS should really be spending the money on equipment that are tax goes towards and not giving free software to employees.

cookiemonster25

actualy this comes out of a seperate IT project budget set aside by the goverment as part of a national IT project in the nHS......so rest assured it wont stop your hip replacment or pile surgery, shall we cancel teacher training days or police courses too, well who needs to be upto date with the latest tecnology etc eh well florence nightingales lamp is probably good enough for todays NHS staff ......rant over