Patients at York District Hospital could soon have instant access to information about their conditions on a special NHS 'Intranet'.

The new system, due to be tested in York next month, could eventually mean all 2,000 hospital staff, with access to computer systems, will have the latest information about new drugs and procedures literally at their fingertips.

And it is already hoped the system could later be extended to in-patients. Sue Rushbrook, head of systems and network services, said that when the computer system was up and running it would include information such as lists of drugs and hospital procedures, but the future could see an expansion. "One of the things we want to encourage is the possibility of putting information for patients on there, such as easy-to-read guides to diseases so they can find out more," she said.

"We hope it would work a bit like the 'touch' screens you find in museums to find out information."

York Health Trust chief executive, Dr Peter Kennedy, said: "It will mean that patients will be able to get understandable information on whatever condition they want, so that when they come round to meet a professional they have the knowledge they need to discuss their condition with the doctor rather than being ignorant about it.

"It will make sure the patient-doctor relationship is an equal one." The hospital's system will also be linked up to an NHS-wide "Intranet" which is aimed at sharing information about research and treatments across health authorities, hospitals, GP surgeries and trusts.

Workers will also be able to get through to the wider Internet.

Mrs Rushbrook said that eventually the hospital hoped to have its own site on the Internet, but stressed Internet users would not be able to get into the hospital's own system.

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