NHS hospital opts for wireless

Good Hope Hospital, which employs 3,000 staff, has opted for the Bluesocket system because doctors were having trouble in tracking down patient records.

"One of the drivers to the wireless network deployment was the ability for the medical staff to get closer to their patients," said Nick McDonnell head of medical engineering and IT support, in a press release. "Security is a major issue within the NHS Trust and the Bluesocket solution with a high level of IPSec encryption was an ideal choice. The network has increased the time our staff can spend with patients allowing them to deliver better care."

The pilot project began with a surgeon who requested wireless in his clinic for a medicine link with community nursing teams. After three months of research, the NHS Trust granted the hospital the funds for the project.

Installation of the network took four days.

Doctors now access some records with tablet PCs at the patient's bedside.