A British hospital has revolutionised a way that allows consultants to look at X-rays and other health images using internet technology to help the way patients are diagnosed and treated.

The system has been installed at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital in London means that doctors can access all medical images via their laptops and personal computers via a secure intranet site. This should allow them to give instant diagnosis without having to travel in to the hospital, they could be called at home in an emergency rather than having to wait for them to arrive at the hospital. Also, the opinion of experts can be sought even on the other side of the world.

The system which has been developed by Kodak, can only be accessed by password intends to cut down the time required between initial examination and diagnosis, reduce waiting times and also intended to make the process more efficient and less stressful.

By using an electronic retrieval of medical images will lead to a more streamlined system than the existing system of conventional hard-copy film.