SPARK Fusion® & CardMedic Transform Bedside Communication at Stockport NHS

Stepping Hill Hospital, which serves a population of 350,000 across Greater Manchester, the High Peak area of Derbyshire and parts of East Cheshire, run by Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, set out to improve patient experience and modernise bedside care, they didn’t just go digital - they leapt ahead.

In the early months of 2025, SPARK TSL successfully deployed an impressive 473 SPARK Fusion® iPads at the bedside, placing an innovative, patient-friendly platform directly at the hands of those who need it most, along with 23 devices available to staff.  

This large-scale rollout, highlighted as a lighthouse partnership, demonstrated what’s possible when digital innovation is matched with genuine clinical need. Fusion at the bedside unites patients with easy access to entertainment, hospital and health information, feedback tools, and more. 

For staff, manual and physical tasks, like answering patient call bells, have now become simpler and more streamlined through the SPARK Fusion® management app, where nurses and clinicians receive instant notifications that they can action and oversee all in one place.  

What began as a drive to improve the patient experience quickly evolved into a powerful example of digital transformation in action. 

Bringing CardMedic to the bedside: Communication without barriers 

With SPARK Fusion® at the bedside, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust was in a strong position to explore new ways to enhance communication between staff and patients.  

This opened the door to CardMedic - a digital healthcare communication platform designed to remove language, cognitive and literacy barriers at the point of care. It offers 200+ languages and thousands of clinically validated scripts in multiple formats, including British Sign Language (BSL), Easy Read and Read Aloud, as well as access to live human interpreters.

Working collaboratively, SPARK TSL and CardMedic enabled the Trust to offer instant translation and interpretation resources directly through the SPARK Fusion® iPads on 20 wards at the hospital. Staff can now access clear, clinically reviewed scripts to support conversations, ranging from consent and procedures to discharge and pain assessment. If the conversation requires a human interpreter, patients and staff can now reach these services at the touch of a button, without having to search for access or language codes. 

 Dr Rachael Grimaldi, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of CardMedic, said: 

“By embedding CardMedic across wards and bedside devices, enabled through our partnership with SPARK TSL, Stockport is enabling communication that is instant, safe, and scalable."

This integration hasn’t just improved communication; it has strengthened patient understanding and confidence at the Trust. For many patients who previously struggled to express themselves or understand clinical information, the silent era is over. 

 Pam Fearns, Chief Nursing Information Officer at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, led the project’s implementation:

“CardMedic will enable patients to voice their needs where previously they may have struggled to communicate them,” she said. “All conversations — such as asking whether someone wants a cup of tea, explaining a procedure, or offering reassurance — play a vital role in ensuring inclusivity. CardMedic enables equality across our services.”   

The combination of SPARK Fusion®’s flexible digital ecosystem and CardMedic’s specialist tools give Stockport NHS Foundation Trust a breakthrough: a unified, intelligent bedside platform that truly listens and responds to the diverse needs of its population. 

 Jane Stephenson, CEO at SPARK TSL, added: 

 “This pioneering project demonstrates how technology can strengthen patient-centred care. We’re proud to be working with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and CardMedic on embedding inclusive communication support in our SPARK Fusion® bedside devices. Together, we’re making healthcare more accessible for all.”   

A platform that evolves with every Trust 

From entertainment to clinical insights, to meal ordering and translation tools, SPARK Fusion® continues to grow in capability. Every new feature, integration or refinement is shaped by the real-world challenges that patients and clinicians face every day. 

We recognise that every Trust is different - different workflows, different pressures, different patient needs - and Fusion has been purpose-built to evolve with them. 

The collaboration with CardMedic is just one example of how SPARK Fusion® expands to solve pressing issues such as communication in healthcare settings. Tomorrow, it may be something completely new, and the platform is ready for it. 

Contact our team to discover what it could unlock for your Trust.