Solution Overview.

Qolcom, in partnership with HPE Aruba Networking, has been modernising NCH&C’s network infrastructure through a fiveyear managed service contract, including a comprehensive network and user survey, design, project management, and on-site engineers to securely transfer records across community and care settings, ensuring uninterrupted access to patient data.

NCH&C’s 2023-2027 strategic plan aims to enhance patient care at home and reduce hospital admissions. Upgrading digital health services through local GP care over Wi-Fi is crucial for unifying patient data across Norfolk and Waveney. The NHS Trust legacy network infrastructure lacked the necessary flexibility, functionality, and scalability for optimal patient outcomes and a secure, cloud-first, resilient network infrastructure was essential.

The transformation hinged on four key digitisation pillars, supported by HPE Aruba Networking, through HPE Aruba Central, and managed by Qolcom | Bechtle group:

  • Enhancing Home Independence. HPE Aruba Central streamlined operations with a single point of visibility across the entire network, permitting the expansion of virtual consultations, virtual wards and assistive technology.
     
  • Providing Timely Data. HPE Aruba ClearPass orchestrates different levels of access for professionals across different roles, enhancing the efficiency of managing population health, from delivering health and care to admin operations.
     
  • Improving Digital Patient Records so that patients share their story only once. HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager provided robust access control with granular role-based policies for GDPRcompliant, authorised access only, permitting better medicine management and secure information sharing among providers.
     
  • Freeing Up Time for Patient Care through process automation. HPE Aruba Central supports automation through event-driven actions, allowing the 600 nurses who visit more than 8,000 patients daily to focus mo

Results and Impact.

This cloud-first digital transformation, designed and implemented by NHC&C NHS Trust together with Qolcom and HPE Aruba Networking, was a paradigm shift for NHS Trusts.

We took the high-level design and the products to the Gigabit Initiative through NHS England, it got a full round of applause.

Paul Walsh, Head of Technical Authority, Digital Services Team, NHC&C NHS Trust