UCLH Multi-service Network
With a large and complex organisation spanning multiple sites in the heart of London, University College London Hospital (UCLH) had the mammoth task of implementing state-of-the-art IT infrastructure for its new facility
Helping University College London Hospital become a 'paperless hospital'.
About UCLH
UCLH is one of the most important centres for biomedical research in Europe, and it’s among the largest teaching institutions in the UK. It comprises seven separate hospital sites that offer general and specialist services to the local community, commuters, tourists and patients referred to UCLH from across the UK.
UCLH’s requirement
UCLH had a brand new, state of the art hospital opening up in central London.
It wanted to make its information systems more efficient so that it could give its patients a more enhanced service of care.
So they brought us in to help them find a way to encourage patient information to flow between their departments in a faster, more efficient and environmentally friendly way. The answer we came up with was a blueprint for an infrastructure intended to lead, eventually, towards a ‘paperless hospital’.
The new system needed to be able to support Electronic Patient Records (EPRs). It would also have to integrate legacy medical applications, as well as clinical teaching video, picture archiving communications (PACS) and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephony systems.
On top of that, UCLH required a wireless LAN (WLAN) solution across all of its hospitals, so that clinicians and carers could access up-to-date patient record information while on the move.
Our solution
We helped UCLH come up with the solution, and then were responsible for its project management, design and implementation. We also were in charge of installation design and post-deployment audits, as well as systems proving, system integration and site acceptance.
Using high-performance, feature-rich switches and routers — supplied by Cisco and Riverstone Networks — we created a highly secure, scalable, multi-service backbone network that could support a myriad of departments, their specialist applications as well as meet their users’ needs.
Our partner, Aruba Networks, supplied equipment for a purpose-built, voice-enabled, resilient, scalable and secure wireless LAN. This provides advanced network intrusion detection and protection, and incorporated sophisticated radio frequency management capabilities. It does this through 5000 Aruba mobility controllers and nearly 300 centrally managed access points and air monitors
Result
Since its hand-over in 2005, three weeks’ ahead of schedule, UCLH’s network has had no problems with its new systems and everything has run smoothly.
This wireless LAN solution is one of the UK’s largest single wireless networks and is essential for more effective patient care. And it has taken UCLH that much closer to its vision of a paperless hospital where delayed test results and appointment mix-ups are now a thing of the past.
The new network also offers future-proof, built-in longevity, which will facilitate deployment of additional services later on.
Customer’s testimonial
“Secure, reliable network infrastructure is essential, and we chose telent because we believed they were best placed to deliver .”
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