NHS Arden & GEM’s IT Project and Programme Management and Delivery team secured funding and approval from Lincolnshire ICB to improve installation, use and maintenance of the data cabinet estate within local GP practices.
As a result of clear objectives, robust project management and forming strong collaborative working relationships with both the ICB and practice managers, the project was successfully delivered within budget and across 109 practices. Practice benefits include less network downtime, improved data cabinet security and maintainability, increased operational efficiency, and futureproofed capacity and connectivity.
The challenge
Summer 2022 was one of the hottest summers on record in the UK. This resulted in some devices in data cabinets overheating at GP practices, causing site network connectivity to go down and resulting in clinical issues due to staff being unable to access IT systems.
Over the past five years, the data cabinet estate in Lincolnshire’s 114 GP practices has also grown in use with multiple devices added into each data cabinet, and larger equipment generating more heat. Due to numerous third parties having access to the data cabinets, NHS Arden & GEM’s IT Project and Programme Management and Delivery (PPMD) team found an increasing amount of third-party equipment had been installed into the cabinets. This also led to varying cabling standards throughout.
Addressing these issues was imperative but any project work would need to minimise operational impact and fully involve GP practice managers, who were understandably apprehensive about any network downtime.
Our approach
On the back of these challenges, the PPMD team presented a proposal to Lincolnshire ICB for funding to form a project to undertake remedial action, including:
- a survey of all existing GP practice data cabinets
- purchasing further network switches, data cabinets, cabling and sundries
- working with third-party suppliers, where necessary, to add new data cabinet installations and cabling infrastructure
- introducing a uniform cabling standard where possible.
Minimising operational impact
An experienced network technician and technology facilitator, from the PPMD team, were appointed to lead the project, with assistance from a Project Manager and Project Support Officer.
The practice managers were consulted and asked to work in collaboration with the project team to ensure the optimal bespoke solution was implemented for each GP practice.
With a managed network outage required, a convenient window of downtime had to be scheduled to minimise operational impact. These ranged from lunchtime hours to evenings and weekends, dependant on the complexity and time of the requirement.
Engaging stakeholders
Regular project update meetings were put in place, along with the sharing of relevant project documentation, to ensure stakeholders were informed of progress. The Project Manager was able to escalate any issues that arose to the Project Board for a decision on how to proceed if required.
It was essential that practice managers were kept engaged in the process. This was achieved through open communication and ensuring that they understood the aim and the benefits of the project.
Data cabinet optimisation
Out of 114 practices, 109 were visited and data cabinets optimised. Hardware was repositioned and retired, a new cabling standard established and new shelving installed, which has created optimum airflow for cooling.
Three practices also had data cable infrastructure improvements made while 24 new network switches and 11 new data cabinets were installed. All unused equipment was sent to Arden & GEM’s logistics for use within the GP practices in the future. Photos and documentation were also updated for each GP practice which are held centrally to support future requirements.
The outcomes
As a result of clear objectives, robust project management and forming strong collaborative working relationships with both the ICB and practice managers, the project was successfully delivered within budget and across 96% of all practices.
Benefits of the project include:
- A decrease in instances of system failure due to overheating during the summer months – by optimising data cabinets
- Improved data cabinet security – by allowing the doors to be closed and locked
- Reduction in electricity costs to the GP practice – through removing surplus equipment
- Improvements in maintainability – implementing a standard configuration and enabling easier access for engineers to replace failed devices, has reduced time and increased ease when undertaking any work in the data cabinets
- Futureproofing capacity – by installing new network switches alongside the modernisation of legacy hardware.
Collectively, these benefits have resulted in less network downtime and increased operational efficiency for the GP practices.
"We have always been impressed by the professionalism of the IT team locally, both when providing us a remote and an on-site service.
We recently needed a refresh of our very untidy comms cabinet. As well as being aesthetically unpleasing, disorganised and untidy cabling can cause operational issues, obstruct the view of available ports and lead to tangled cabling. To address this issue required downtime for our network which would have been very inconvenient during working hours and we were offered an out of hours service instead. This meant no disruption to patients or staff.
The work took place at the time promised and was completed very efficiently within the advised timescale. We are very grateful for the swift and professional service that we received."
Adrian Down, Managing Partner at Caythorpe and Ancaster Medical Practice
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