All practices and hospitals will have fibre optic connections to the internet, health secretary Matt Hancock has promised.

Mr Hancock made the announcement after GP leaders unveiled their “IT” manifesto, calling on the government to sort out basic problems before forcing high-tech solutions based on AI and genomics on practices.

Mr Hancock visited the Royal College of GPs to hear the launch of the GP manifesto. He said that 40% of NHS organisations are using internet supplied through copper lines, restricting the breadth of activities available to them.

Mr Hancock said: “Every day, our NHS staff do amazing work – but too often they are let down by outdated and unreliable technology. It’s simply unbelievable that a third of NHS organisations are using internet that can sometimes be little better than dial-up.

“To give people control over how they access NHS services, I want to unlock the full potential of technology – this is the future for our 21st century healthcare system and a central part of our NHS Long Term Plan.
Faster broadband connections can help us deliver these dramatic improvements – we need clinicians and other healthcare professionals to feel confident they can access fast, reliable broadband so they can provide patients with the best possible care.”