Ultimately the systems should generate savings through their time-saving potential, possibly cutting out weeks of passing paper around and allowing for instant consultation between clinicians of various departments, reducing pressures on staff in the process.  It can be used between two or more sites simultaneously, even involving sites overseas.  Reports on the project have observed that the doctor has "more presence" than in a usual consultation.  On the other hand, Mackay says he sometimes felt frustrated at his inability to control the technology at the patients' end, relying on assistants at the hospital whose experience varied.  UPDATE AUGUST 2003:  Positive informal feedback from patients, all patients selected for the pilot agreed to take part.  Only took 2/3 minutes to get used to talking to the television, no age related difference in acceptability.