The solution, which is worth more than £2m, provides unparalleled investment protection by delivering a future proof network with a 7-year lifespan that will support both the traditional voice/video over IP technologies, as well as applications that are essential to the Healthcare market such as PACS/RIS, Wireless IPT and wireless medical diagnostics equipment.
Based on Extreme Networks switching equipment, the solution will involve the deployment of 50GB core switching capacity in each of the 40 sites, Power over Ethernet (POE) enabled gigabit connectivity to over 10,000 wired users and devices, plus the deployment of 400 wireless access points for corporate and guest use, all centrally authenticated and proactively managed.
Nuffield Hospitals became engaged with Scalable Networks through a tender process, to replace the existing Cisco infrastructure. By offering a future proof solution at a better purchase cost, lower operational expense and offering flexibility through partnership, the deployment of all 40 sites is to be completed over two months.
This new solution will enable Nuffield Hospitals to provide real time monitoring of patients across its 40 sites, allowing patient records to be automatically updated at the bedside and enabling access to x-rays and scans to be stored electronically and viewed on screens, so that health professionals can access the information and compare it with previous images at the touch of a button. By delivering more efficient imaging processes, PACS will contribute to the delivery of a maximum 18 week patient journey by 2008.
Iain Roy General Manager IT Service Management at Nuffield Hospitals said: “Nuffield Hospitals is a leader in adapting and working innovatively in a rapidly transforming healthcare market. With Scalable Networks we have a solutions partner who demonstrated that they could provide us with a technically superior solution that had the performance, availability and security that we needed to improve our current services through innovation, effectiveness and efficiency.”
“They understand our business and with their professional and flexible approach and excellent project management they ensured that the solution was deployed within our 3 pilot sites with the minimum disruption ensuring that we continued to provide excellence in healthcare services. We are already seeing a return on our investment within the completed sites; not only through the greatly reduced cost of ownership compared to the previous network, but in the day to day running of the Hospital and improved efficiency of staff which will ultimately improve our care to patients.”