DORSET nurses are set to benefit from an injection of funding for new technology.

The NHS trust Dorset Healthcare has successfully applied for £346,000 to invest in technology for its nurses and care staff across the county.

The funding will be used to buy lightweight, ultra-portable laptops to help nurses develop modern practices and do their jobs more easily. Dorset Healthcare was one of 75 trusts across England to receive a share of the £100million Nursing Technology Fund announced by Prime Minister David Cameron.

It had to demonstrate how the project would deliver real improvements to patient care and safety with the funding application led by the trust’s nurses.

The £346,000 will fund laptops to be used within the Community and Child Health Information System project.

Dorset Healthcare’s interim director of nursing and quality Fiona Haughey said: “This is about using modern technology to help our staff provide compassionate and personalised care.

“We want to make life easier for our staff – for example, a laptop can mean a community nurse can work on the go without needing to make as many trips back to the office, which means more time spent with patients.

“Also, mobile IT devices that can be used at the bedside puts valuable information at nurses’ fingertips.

“Applying for this funding was all about enabling our frontline staff to improve the care they provide for patients.”