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About UHSFT
Organisation type
Hospital
Size of operation
13,000 staff & 1,300 beds across the Trust
Client since
2021
Product suites
- SPARK Connect®
- SPARK Fusion® Web (BYOD)
- 24/7/365 support
What makes UHSFT brilliant?
UHSFT provide hospital services to around 1.9 million people in Southampton and South Hampshire
They were the first hospital in England to use stem cell injections to improve mobility after stroke
Southampton Hospitals Charity work with the Trust to tailor and focus funding and improvements so that everyone has the best possible experience for their individual needs
Goals
- Provide a free entertainment platform to patients and staff
- Promote existing services and what’s available through their patient engagement platform
- Offer a buildable and scalable solution that can be developed in the future
- Work in collaboration with the Charity to increase exposure and engagement
- Maintain regularity for patients while they’re inside hospital, to provide them with a sense of normality as well as clinical care and mental wellbeing
- Introduce new initiatives such as ‘what 3 questions’ to inform and engage with the patient and visitor population
Our Solution
The Trust began as a Hospedia Ltd customer in 1997, where patients have access to the bedside units which sit on the arms connected to the wall at their bedside. The units primarily provide pay-to-use TV, movies, sports channels, and some additional services like a helpdesk.
Over 25 years on, the bedside units remain at a cost to the patient to use. However, since joining forces with SPARK TSL, University Hospital Southampton has made the best use of the units to include and adapt the free hospital services and information accessible at the bedside, such as adding a dementia orientation screen, NHS A-Z Health Index, food menus, a Patient safety video, and much more to increase efficiency and engagement. The TV channels are also free from 6am-12pm, which is a positive step towards the ‘no patient pays’ initiative that SPARK TSL is striving for.
The provision then developed, as UHSFT wanted to introduce a modernised, free patient entertainment solution - accessible via patient's own devices - on top of the services on existing bedside units. This is known as SPARK Fusion® Web, which is an add-on to the WiFi service that the Trust has. The platform works towards improving the patient experience and introducing a cost-effective solution that everyone could benefit from, as well as for the Trust to recognise and understand their existing infrastructure already in place and how to make the most out of it.
The entire solution is supported 24/7/365 by SPARK TSL’s UK-based Service Desk. The team is accessible via phone, email and live chat any time of day to ease any technical pressures on staff.
Increased charity awareness
By displaying Southampton Hospitals Charity information to each user that connects to the WiFi, the branding is further reinforced when patients and visitors access the SPARK Fusion® Web platform. A banner sits on the dashboard and a tab allows users to freely browse charity links, enabling them to get involved by making donations and stay up to date with charity activities.
It is fundamentally important that our patients feel engaged and connected with their families, friends, and work colleagues during any period of ill health or procedure they may be encountering. UHS and SPARK TSL share the vision to provide a relevant, user-friendly experience that provides connectivity and stimulus to those when they need it most
- Matthew Hine Commercial Development Manager, UHSFT
