While 4G already plays a major role in healthcare through the emergency services network and providing critical mobile connectivity, 5G will further enhance this capability and ultimately help save lives.

Due to the speed in which information can be sent across the network, its reliability and capacity to simultaneously connect many more devices, 5G will significantly enhance healthcare provision. From freeing up resource and reducing service costs to providing real-time insight that can save vital minutes treating patients and helping to save lives.

During the pandemic we have seen video calling explored as a method of communication, between family, friends, colleagues and doctors and patients. The added reliability and higher video quality provided by 5G will enable an even wider variety of consultations with doctors and GPs to happen virtually. Replacing just 5% of GP appointments with video consultations will unlock an additional 1.1 million hours of time.

In the future, 5G connected equipment will even make remote surgery possible, connecting specialists around the world to patients on the operating table regardless of their location.

5G could also further improve the technology and abilities of drones, enhancing the images that are relayed to operatives on the ground. From providing thermal imaging to track down a crime suspect to streaming live footage to help manage crowd control. This technology is already being adopted by Vodafone with New Zealand Police, and in Dorset it is understood to have saved the police force £170,000 by replacing some of the services police helicopters do, at a fraction of the cost.

Further trials of 5G in test-bed projects across the country have shown just how game-changing this technology will be. In Bristol, thermal cameras were installed using 5G technology around the harbour’s edge to instantly alert authorities if the ‘virtual barrier’ was broken when a person fell into the water. The technology was implemented after ten people tragically died in drowning accidents in just one year. The lives of two people have already been saved by the technology.

As part of Mobile UK’s latest #5GCheckTheFacts campaign, the trade body provides insight into the benefits of 5G for healthcare and the emergency services. Appreciating that the rollout of new technology can also raise questions and concerns, the campaign also provides useful materials to help dispel the misinformation about the technology’s impact on health.

To find out more about how 5G can benefit healthcare and the emergency services view and download the new mini pack series, as well as information toolkits, fact sheets, and infographics related to 5G and health from https://www.mobileuk.org/5g-and-health

To stay up to date with the latest news and the #5GCheckTheFacts campaign follow @MobileUK_News on Twitter and LinkedIn.

‍