University Hospital South Manchester (UHSM) is
implementing a
wireless local area network to help doctors
work more effectively during night shifts and ensure compliance
with legislation governing doctors' hours.
The hospital has equipped doctors with Compaq iPaq PDAs linked
to the wireless Lan so that they can be contacted quickly in an
emergency. The system can also be used to provide doctors with any
information they need on the spot.
The
wireless Lan, from Aruba Networks, underpins
proprietary NHS software, known as iBleep, that enables staff to
generate, accept and interact with calls from wards. In the past,
doctors were bleeped and had to call in via land lines for more
details.
Steve Baldwin, deputy network manager at UHSM, said, rather than
trying to pinpoint a doctor by faxing a page and hoping that they
receive it and phone through, ward staff could now send more
detailed information directly to the doctor's PDA.
Sue Barrow, pay and workforce manager at the hospital, said the
NHS's Hospitals at Night initiative, which
recommends the provision of cover through a multidisciplinary
medical team, was the instigator of the programme.
She said the project was also designed to take into account the
European Working Time Directive, which limits the time doctors can
work because of health and safety reasons.
The project, which began last October, is two-thirds of the way
through and is expected to be completed this summer. It is being
implemented in partnership with network integrator Vanix.
Data on the network is secured using the WPA and WPA2 wireless
encryption standards.
Scarborough NHS Trust goes wireless
>>
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust adopts
speedy comms system >>
Aruba updates wireless Lan management systems >>
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