Setting a New Standard in H&J Healthcare

The NHS consistently strives to deliver safer, more efficient healthcare in health & justice (H&J) settings.  Better tools and workflows improve the working efficiency and experience of the healthcare professional (HCP), and in turn, offer better healthcare for patients in these settings.  To make the most of modern day tools HCPs need access to the secure Health and Social Care Network (HSCN). This connection allows HCPs to access software such as Summary Care Record, to securely access the relevant healthcare information and manage medications, as well as many other services.  The NHS in the East and Midlands intended to roll out this HSCN connection to set a new standard for healthcare across their regions.  

An Experienced Team was Essential

Such a rollout ideally required a project team with experience in such settings and JWPM fit the mould perfectly. Fifty-two sites would require an HSCN connection; including prisons, police custodies, courts and SARCs (Sexual Assault Referral Centres). Each of these sites has it’s own security protocols, contacts and network infrastructure which can prove rather complex for teams new to these settings. With over 50 sites to get up and running the NHS required an experienced team to manage such complexities during the rollout. 

JWPM had not only provided IT infrastructure and support in all of the aforementioned settings, but had worked extensively with the previous iteration of the secure NHS Network.  This meant that JWPM was familiar with not only the HSCN connection itself, but also with site protocols and best practice when having the lines installed. Sites on the previous iteration were migrated to the new HSCN line and brand new sites were surveyed, planned and installed with a fresh connection ready for use. This was achieved using JWPM’s own experience, knowledge of site infrastructure and healthcare needs; as well as its relationship with third party suppliers.

A Deep Understanding of End Goals

JWPM supports NHS Smartcards, electronic medical record systems, pharmacy software and other healthcare IT solutions in several sites. All of these services require an HSCN connection. First-hand knowledge of these systems gave JWPM a full understanding of the HSCN connection and the benefits it provides for end-users.

As a team that have rolled out many healthcare IT solutions nationwide JWPM understood that an HSCN Connection meant:

·        Access to Summary Care Records

·        A faster, more efficient workflow where HCPs have access to the relevant information

·        NHS Smartcard compatibility

·        Use of electronic medical records

·        Improved data security

·        No more paper records!

These are only a few of the benefits of an HSCN connection as new technologies are always in development, but having such connectivity ensures that a service will have access to current, and future tools in an H&J environment. With the benefit of experience and an in-depth understanding of requirements in such settings, JWPM managed the rollout of HSCN to fifty-two sites which are now capable of delivering safer, more efficient healthcare using a range of the latest tools and security, with more to come in future.