Alcatel-Lucent’s business partner Khipu Networks will install the new network at the Trust’s 789-bed hospital. It will be based on Alcatel-Lucent’s OmniAccess WLAN technology, and will initially provide access for 400 staff. It is capable of supporting over 10,000 devices. The company says this scalability was one of the reasons the Trust selected Alcatel-Lucent’s system.
The new system will be used in conjunction with traditional printed patient wristbands to automate blood donation tracking and streamline the process of dispensing drugs. It is hoped this will improve patient safety. The company says the new network will also improve knowledge sharing within the organisation, enabling access to patient records and hospital resources, resulting in improved bedside care for patients.
The Trust also plans to add VoIP capabilities to the network in 2009, which the company says should reduce telephony costs.
Bob Down, IT manager, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: Wireless is absolutely imperative if we are to deliver the best possible quality of care to our patients. With the new network, our clinical staff can instantly confirm that the right patient is receiving the right blood and the right medication, and these checks can be undertaken anywhere in the hospital, at the bedside, in theatre or on the wards. We can cut down on the paperwork while improving the safety of the services we offer. This is great for both our staff and our patients.
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