News
London's first polyclinic uses high-speed network for efficient
communications
29 June 2009
NHS Redbridge Loxford Polyclinic in east London, the first clinic of
its kind in the capital, is using a high-speed network from ntl:Telewest
Business to share patient and operational information, and IP telephony
for cost-effective communication.
Health and social care practitioners using the centre will be able to
access images stored at Queens Hospital in nearby Romford. Services
within the polyclinic will be able to maintain their direct dial call
number, regardless of their location within the polyclinic.
Opened on 15 June 2009, the 4,000 square metre polyclinic provides
approximately 50,000 Redbridge residents with improved access to GP
services, health, social and community care professionals.
Its 59 clinical rooms and eight community rooms for wellbeing groups
are open seven days a week, and contain two GP practices and a walk-in
centre. Nearby practices can refer patients to the centre for services
such as dentistry, ultrasounds, blood tests and x-rays.
NHS Redbridge required a reliable IP telephony system that would
enable the new polyclinic’s staff to maintain seamless contact
throughout the facility and beyond. It also needed a resilient data
network service with sufficient bandwidth to support demanding imaging
applications such as picture archiving and communication system (PACS)
and radiology information system (RIS).
Russell Davis, Assistant Director of ICT for NHS Redbridge said: “Our
new polyclinic has been designed to meet the current and future health
needs of local residents. To fit in with people’s increasingly busy
lives, appointments to see GPs can now be made in the evening and
weekends.”
“One of our biggest challenges was to connect the polyclinic to
Queen's Hospital in Romford so that clinicians could access images
physically located at the hospital, without compromising picture
quality.
"The implementation of ntl:Telewest Business’ 100 Megabit–per-second
(Mbps) network ensures we have a fast, dedicated connection with Queens.
This enables clinicians to work at Loxford as if they were at the
hospital. This enhances health services for local residents and saves
health practitioners from having to travel from site to site."
“Polyclinics represent a major change in the way that people who live
and work in London will receive their healthcare. NHS Redbridge is using
the very latest telecoms technology to help assure a holistic, long-term
view of residents’ health and wellbeing needs,” said David Astley, head
of health and emergency services for ntl:Telewest Business.
“This project demonstrates just how important robust, high-speed
communication links are in delivering the next generation of quality
health services to the public.”
The Loxford Polyclinic is the first of five polyclinics planned to be
built in Redbridge over the coming five years.
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