Children and families across Essex will benefit from nearly 200 NHS devices being given a new lease of life, helping more young people get online to learn, create and stay connected.
In total, five desktop computers, 164 laptops, 29 phones and several tablets that were no longer in use by the NHS are being given a new lease of life by Essex County Council’s Digital Essex project. The devices will go to children in Essex schools, including those who get free school meals, to help them learn and build important digital skills.
It is NHS Mid and South Essex’s first donation to the Digital Essex project, as the local NHS explores new ways to use retired digital devices that had reached the end of their operational lifecycle within the NHS and would have been recycled. Every device is securely wiped and prepared before donation, ensuring data safety is protected.
The digital donation helps to reduce unnecessary waste and make better use of resources while also helping to tackle digital exclusion in local communities. According to Essex County Council, currently, one in five Essex residents is offline.
This partnership is so important for helping to tackle health inequalities across the county. Around one in five people in the UK either lack basic digital skills or do not use digital technology at all.
This lack of access or knowledge can impact how people safely and confidently manage their health. This includes at-risk or underserved groups including older people, people with learning disabilities and low-income families.
By donating those devices to local schoolchildren, we want to narrow the gap and give children the skills, knowledge and ability to access technology. Our goal is to open the doors to digital health tools and have a lasting impact on their health and wellbeing. It will help children have the confidence to access information that supports healthy habits and looking after their own health, make it easier to use online health services and have opportunities to do well in the future.
Dr Sophia Morris, System Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities at NHS Mid and South Essex
This is a fantastic initiative that’s helping to close the digital divide across Essex. This campaign will help ensure children have access to the digital tools they need, not just to learn, but to thrive in today’s digital world. Every device donated is a step toward greater opportunity, inclusion, and support for families who need it most.
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth, and Prosperity at Essex County Council
This collaboration between partners supports Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System’s (ICS) vision to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in mid and south Essex, including a reduction in health inequalities.
Digital Essex schemeRead about work to reduce health inequalities in local communities in the Health Inequalities Annual Report 2024/25.