Suffolk NHS starts using VoIP

NHS services in Suffolk have set up a new VoIP system to improve communications between more than 200 hospitals, clinics and general practices.

Using a unified communications system provided by Cisilion and travelling over the health service's N3 national broadband network, the scheme was deployed jointly by Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and Suffolk Primary Care Trust.

Suffolk Support Services' technical programme manager, Nick Rackham, told E-Health Insider: "The system was designed from the ground up.

"We wanted a system that could cope with the high usage amongst the two trusts - where other systems had failed - and one that would allow staff to be more mobile and nearer to patients. VoIP was the best solution for this."

The system, which has been in development since late 2005, allows doctors, nurses and child health visitors to access each other via a direct dial number, allowing them more freedom to work outside of their office and spend more time with patients.

In addition, the trusts are predicting cost savings to be substantial as communications systems will now be simplified and internal calls will be at a much reduced cost.