Mobile operator Orange UK, which is owned by France Telecom, launched a new mobile health service last week called Orange "smartnumbers."  The services aims to help users reduce the time it takes to contact a particular healthcare professional and also grant users instant access to the best placed person or healthcare team available to take a call. The service is both for patients and other healthcare workers. Orange said the service is its first foray in the UK healthcare industry.

“Orange has had a dedicated healthcare division in Europe for four years, and has a ten-year legacy in the healthcare sector. Recognizing the huge potential for mobile communications to improve efficiencies for healthcare professionals, and ultimately patient care, Orange is building on its experience to offer this new solution that will improve how healthcare professionals and patients communicate with one another,” the carrier stated in a press release.

A smartnumbers user whose physician was not available would be immediately diverted to one of the physician's colleagues. Orange created the service in partnership with Resilient Networks.

According to the carrier's release: “For community-based healthcare staff working on the move, such as midwives and nurses, 60 percent of ordinary call attempts to healthcare colleagues fail to reach the right person first time. With time saved on locating colleagues, the efficiency of those people working outside GP surgeries or hospitals is increased, resulting in the health sector being better able to focus on providing first class patient care."

Check out the Orange UK smartnumbers information page here