While the telephony system across NHS Lanarkshire’s 67 sites was stable, it was far from consistent. Following several years of outsourced management, each site utilised a different phone system and separate dial plan following an end-of life, site specific upgrade policy.
The outcome was a disparate network with very little integration between sites. Clinicians travelling between hospitals, offices and clinics received vastly different user experiences depending on the site status.
Managing and maintaining the location specific, siloed system was complex and time consuming. When a fault was reported, the team needed to identify the particular phone system and specific handset, then arrange access and site visits. Providing a reliable, resilient solution was critical as clinicians relied on pager and bleep systems to stay connected to their patients’ conditions.
NHS Lanarkshire wanted to take a more strategic view of its entire estate to enhance services across the entire health board, improve the user and patient experience, and ensure they achieved the best results from their investment.
