Health

Network & Server Management for Health

 

Today's issues addressed

Health trusts are placing increasing demands on their network infrastructures as they make greater use of internal systems and those delivered via the NHSnet.

 

With the pace increasing on the Connecting for Health Programme, there are new demands on network infrastructures with the introduction of applications such as PACS.

Infrastructure under pressure

For healthcare trusts, the demands on their IT infrastructure have never been higher. With IT resources being diverted into implementing the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), many trusts are finding they do not have the resources to assess, manage and plan their infrastructure. Without a robust, capable infrastructure, it's impossible to successfully deliver the NPfIT applications.

 

Inevitably, your network and server infrastructure will need to be flexible. All healthcare trusts are subject to changes in their structure, the needs of their staff and of their clients. On top of this, IT departments face an ever-changing set of demands put on them by government policy, new applications and technology development.

 

Your infrastructure needs to deliver value quickly, yet also be planned strategically to meet the needs of the National Programme for IT and the government agency NHS Connecting for Health over the coming years.

 

If this sounds familiar, now is the time to consider working with a managed service provider. Digica can help you assess your current infrastructure, plan the changes required, and then deliver the appropriate solution. Once it's in place, our team will provide pro-active, 24x7 support to ensure your network and servers run smoothly.

 

Following our merger with Fox IT, Digica has offices in Warrington, Nottingham, Leeds, Daventry and Woking, enabling us to provide trusted and responsive local delivery of services. Our experienced team of IT professionals has a long track record of working in the healthcare sector, many of them since the early 1990s.

 

Digica is technology-independent: unlike a vendor with their own products to push, we are able to propose the best solution for each customer. We have the flexibility and experience across a wide range of technologies to work efficiently with the local service providers (LSPs).

 

Why Digica?

The health market places particular demands on an IT company, in terms of responsiveness, hours of cover and cost constraints. Digica has been able to successfully deliver a strong set of services to its customers within these constraints.

 

We have been hosting a range of systems for NHS customers since the late 1980's. These systems cover functionality ranging from trust-wide PAS systems through to departmental-specific systems such as pathology, radiology and pharmacy systems.

 

Following on from the recent changes in the health sector IT market, Digica has responded by providing a range of specific managed services. These fill the day-to-day operational gaps between the major strategic programmes underway by the regional IT major suppliers.

 

Phased approach

Digica's approach to network and server infrastructure developments is split into three phases. Throughout this process, we tailor our activities to your specific needs, while offering guaranteed fixed prices so that your expenditure is controlled and measured.

 

Phase one - review: Enables you to clearly identify the technical changes you need to address to meet the requirements on your network and server infrastructure, both now and in the future.

• Baseline current network and server environment
• Review business priorities and challenges
• Gap analysis
• Develop high-level strategy, plan and budget for the deployment of the infrastructure

Phase two - design & plan: Focuses on adopting the most appropriate technical solutions, balanced with affordability and financial planning for the programme.

• Define technical architecture
• Define key project phases
• Produce detailed budgets for each phase
• Map key project phases onto business objectives and available budgets

Phase three - implement & run: Delivers the solutions defined in phase two and then transfers the new infrastructure into a professionally managed service environment. This environment will be monitored around the clock and tuned to meet the changing demands placed upon it.

• Build network and / or server environments
• Test
• Implementation and rollout
• Transition new infrastructure into support environment
• Implement fully automated monitoring
• 24 hour support and management operations

Customers

Digica, and formerly Fox IT Managed Services, has worked in the Health Sector for over 15 years and as built strong relationships with its health trust customers, many of which have been with us for the majority of this time. Through the years, as trusts' businesses have developed, we have worked with them to introduce newer applications and introduce a wider range of services.

 

Digica's healthcare customers include:

• Leeds Mental Health Trust
• Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital
• Liverpool Women's Hospital
• Mersey Care NHS Trust
• North Liverpool PCT
• Cardiothoracic Centre Liverpool
• CSC (one of the five local service providers)

In partnership with Filetek:

• North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Countess of Chester NHS Trust
• York Hill Hospital Glasgow
• Southern General Hospital Glasgow

Digica continues to work with our existing and new customers to ensure they stay ahead of the game and are ready to deploy new systems and support this with our wide range of service management packages tailored to meet their specific requirements.

 

Next step

To find out how Digica could help your trust, please call Brian Roberts on
+ 44 1159 77 1177 or e-mail brian.roberts@digica.com .

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