News
Communications upgrade for Worcestershire’s health community
30 January 2008
The Worcestershire health community will be given improved voice,
data and mobile communications under a five-year contract awarded to BT.
The Community consists of 10,000 health professionals from three NHS
trusts — Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, Worcestershire Acute
Hospitals NHS Trust and Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership Trust —
spread across a wide geographic area.
BT will bring together Nortel and Microsoft’s combined unified
communications capabilities to connect these health professionals more
efficiently so they are better able to serve and support the community.
All sites will be connected to a single Community of Interest Network
(COIN), allowing information and data to be shared almost instantly
between doctors and medical staff.
This will run across Worcestershire's own N3-provided Community of
Interest Network. Nortel will provide IP communications systems for each
site that will deliver end-to-end voice, data networking and messaging
solutions across the network.
WiFi technology will be deployed at all large sites, enabling
healthcare professionals to use mobile voice, data and tracking
technologies such as BT Managed Vocera — a voice-controlled, wearable
badge that allows users to speak to each other instantly anywhere on
site.
Live Communications Server connectivity from Microsoft will give
mobile health professionals and other NHS staff instant messaging and
presence technology to locate, communicate and share time-sensitive
information with each other instantly.
John Thornbury, Director of ICT at Worcestershire Health ICT
Services, said: “We cover a large area, serving a widely dispersed
population of more than 500,000. Up until now our staff had to spend a
considerable amount of time travelling between facilities in order to
consult patients and collaborate with colleagues. The new communications
platform from BT, Nortel and Microsoft offers a complete package that
will streamline the way we operate and improve the way that patient care
is delivered.”
The main impact of the communications upgrade will be seen across the
primary care facilities. John Thornbury explains: “Mobile health
professionals such as district and community nurses are now able to
locate and exchange information with each almost instantly. This,
together with the elimination of wasted travelling time, will contribute
to improved productivity.”
Stuart Hill, Chief Executive of BT Health Sales said: “This landmark
collaboration between BT, Nortel and Microsoft is delivering voice, data
and mobile connectivity across one single secure network — offering
enhanced resilience and reduction in overall communications costs.
“By combining the innovation and expertise of three global ICT
players, we are able to offer genuine added value. BT, Nortel and
Microsoft’s solutions strategies complement each other well, providing
fully integrated IP solutions that span voice, routing, networking and
software. These services are enhanced by BT’s capabilities in designing,
installing and maintaining major solutions with built-in flexibility,
scalability and cost efficiencies.”
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