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West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

We understand that Trust funding is limited and The provision of a media package that gives patients and staff access to television and entertainment services as well as targeted learning and engagement for specific patient groups such as those with dementia through the BBC’s Reminiscences service.

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About West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust 

Organisation type

Hospital

Size of operation

3,000+ Staff

430 beds in a mixture of wards

Client since

WiFi - 2018
Patient Entertainment - 2020

Product suites

SPARK® Media:
  • Free TV and radio
  • Free digital newspapers and magazines
  • Accessibility on patient's own device
  • 24/7/365 support
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What makes West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Brilliant?

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Named one of the CHKS ‘top hospitals’ for providing safe, effective and high quality care

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A centre of global digital excellence

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Top award for hospital’s patient meals given by the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark

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Goals

  • Provide a managed patient entertainment solution that improved upon their previous infrastructure that was out of date and poorly maintained.

  • Offer a solution that benefits staff and patients alike.

  • A wider variety of entertainment options as well as the opportunity for future growth.

  • Facilitate access to entertainment from personal or loaned devices.

  • Aid patients in being able to remain in contact with loved ones during a time when they are unable to receive visitors.

  • Offer a reliable helpdesk and support system, available 24/7/365

  • Implement a variety of targeted entertainment solutions such as Dementia or Child specific content

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Our Solution

SPARK TSL has a close partnership with West Suffolk NHS and has worked thoughtfully with the Trust to develop a personalised solution that places the patient experience front and centre. Building on top of an established WiFi-only contract, SPARK® Media was installed Trust-wide and freely available to all.

The solution deployed consisted of access to free television, newspapers and magazines, links to charity and dementia support services.

The two community sites, as well as the main hospital received the same solution and staff were introduced to the network at first, so that they were able to communicate about the new system with patients and visitors as well as being able to enjoy the service themselves.

Through the installation of a TV aerial, cabling to the IPTV headend and a new switch, SPARK TSL was able to have the solution up and running within a week, giving patients and staff access to Freeview television, local and national radio, and Trust, Charity and Dementia links to help a variety of patients.

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In the first two weeks of SPARK® Media’s implementation at West Suffolk, almost half of the bed capacity has enjoyed the benefits of the new system including the targeted offerings such as BBC Reminiscence and BBC Music Media Archives for those with dementia, on top of our selection of other services.

But the service doesn’t stop with the patients, every area of the hospital including waiting rooms, staff quarters and out-patient housing is covered by the packing meaning everyone benefits from SPARK® Media.

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Over recent times it has become even more apparent how important it is to support our patients during their stay in hospital. The launch of this new service is a great example of how digital solutions meet the aspiration of the wider care and support we can offer you our patients and really compliments their clinical care.

Liam McLaughlin, Acting Chief Information Officer West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

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Old Friends, New Relationship

Having worked closely to provide WiFi solutions to the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust site since 2018, talks of an upgrade to a more comprehensive solution to improve the patient experience allowed us to continue our partnership.

Pre-pandemic goals set by the Trust targeted free entertainment solutions for all and we’re excited to continue our friendship in the future and build further on their targets.

 

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History of West Suffolk

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is an award-winning trust providing hospital and community services to around 280,000 people in the West Suffolk region. Providing acute hospital care from their 430 bed hospital on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds, the hospital comprises an emergency department, obstetrics, maternity and neonatal services, a day surgery unit, eye unit and children's wards.

The trust also works closely with Cambridge University and is the clinical base for the Cambridge Graduate Medical course, training doctors of the future.

The hospital was founded in 1825 but after joining the National Health Service in 1948, it moved to its current residence on Hardwick Lane in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1973.

 

The Future

As part of the Government’s Health Infrastructure plan, West Suffolk was one of 40 NHS Trusts across the country to receive new-build funding. The new site, Hardwick Manor, will be able to grow with the Trust as it strives to deliver its continued level of exceptional care. Expecting to be finished between 2025-2030, the goals to continually build upon the existing patient engagement infrastructure will be facilitated by an expansion of the SPARK® Media provision.

Looking forward, the Trust plans to include virtual meal ordering, hospital surveys and patient to staff communication as part of the SPARK® Media solution. Adding these extras to the existing package pushes West Suffolk further towards their CQUIN Targets and puts the Trust as a front runner for digital excellence in the patient entertainment world.

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To download a copy of the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust case study as a PDF, simply click the link below.

Download the case study