Sussex Community wireless trial summary

This case study summarises the Wireless Trial by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, using an in-house Wi-Fi survey methodology to enhance connectivity at minimal cost. It is intended for those interested in improving wireless infrastructure in healthcare.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, serving Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, High Weald Lewes and Havens, and West Sussex with 70+ sites and approximately 5000 staff, had a team of three identifying optimal connectivity. While reviewing best practice guidance for Wi-Fi 6, they found that Wi-Fi connectivity needed a revamp, requiring surveys to identify and implement changes..

New projects and ways of working prompted the team to define a new minimum specification based on Wi-Fi 6 and apply this baseline across existing settings.

The first step of this project was surveying current Wi-Fi capability to assess areas needing upgrades.

To minimise costs, Sussex Community invested in delivering their own Wi-Fi surveys, creating a specification and methodology for NHS organisations. By delivering their own Wi-Fi surveys, the trial paid for itself in just five weeks of surveying time over using an external third party.

The trial supported the creation of a new wireless network specification, a necessary step for Sussex to meet the ever-increasing connectivity requirements for both their healthcare staff and patients. This specification outlined a requirement for 65dBm primary network signal coverage for all inpatient wards, as opposed to only high-traffic areas, and an improved 5GHz network to compensate for the congested 2.4GHz band, allowing more devices to connect seamlessly. Sussex then surveyed their sites and prepared for potential infrastructure redesign.

The Trust developed a four-stage in-house process to design and deploy new Wi-Fi networks:

• survey existing areas for potential interference, such as building materials and devices, and identify areas current access point design fails to cover. In-person surveys are recommended over desk-based designs.
• design: the new installation using best practices, computer-aided design software, and survey information, placing access points for maximum coverage and backup.
• implement: the new design by installing data cables and access points without disrupting wards or patients.
• test: the new equipment after installation to validate the implementation. 

Throughout the process, the trust included IT staff and clinicians at each stage, offering several benefits over third-party surveys:.

• trust staff have an innate knowledge of the building and can identify problem areas during the survey
• IT staff will be upskilled in administering Wi-Fi surveys, increasing engagement and motivation. Equipment and costs are kept in-house for repeat surveys, supporting connectivity infrastructure across all trust sites

Using a shoulder mounted survey device and a clinical tablet, an engineer took readings, noting areas where Wi-Fi coverage dropped. . This allowed the team to place test Access Points (APs) and reassess coverage, moving them until the ideal location was found.

Permanent APs were only installed once these ideal locations were identified. The team noted that the mounted survey device was significantly more sensitive than the devices expected in the environments, and therefore produced an unrealistic coverage map. This was accommodated by adjusting the specification (for the mounted survey device) to require a stronger signal, representing a typical clinicians’ device.

This equipment, team, design software, and  documented methodology are the only pre-requisites to completing a Wi-Fi survey in-house.

One to two weeks after installation, a repeat survey was conducted to accommodate any changes in AP power levels of the Aps.

For guidance on measuring Wi-Fi coverage and other metrics in an NHS setting, including recommendations on conducting Wi-Fi coverage surveys,

Wireless infrastructure: Building guidance for health and care organisation

Wi-Fi Excellence Metrics and Measures for Enhanced Connectivity in NHS healthcare organisations - Original Report - v1.0 (You will need a Future Connectivity account to view this). 

Using their methodology, the trust successfully rolled out a new Wi-Fi network, achieving 65dBm primary network coverage across all inpatient wards. This benefited various work streams, including the community bed optimisation project, electronic prescribing and medicines administration service (ePMA), and new medical devices integrating with patient records.

This Wi-Fi improvement supports current and future digital transformation initiatives, enhances patient care, and improves the quality of stay by enabling patients to contact their families and access entertainment.

Other organisations benefitted from the infrastructure upgrade. The improved Wi-Fi coverage at Sussex's sites also supports SussexRoam, a locally designed Wi-Fi roaming solution, allowing peripatetic workers, other NHS organisations, and local councils to access the internet using Sussex Community’s connection. The organisation benefited greatly from in-house Wi-Fi surveying, engaging and upskilling staff, achieving significant cost savings, and having an easy-to-deploy methodology for future wireless deployments.

Sussex Community learned that their surveying equipment is more sensitive than typical devices. They modified their design specification to account for a larger (-5dBm) additional loss to accommodate the weakest antenna, minimising the risk of data loss or lag due to poor signal.

They also learned that real-world surveys have practical considerations. Certain building materials, methods and spatial orientations impede frequencies used for wireless connections (for example 2.4GHz and 5GHz), which may not be accounted for when using imported floor plans on software. Organisations should identify problem areas and thoroughly measure them pre and post-deployment. Surveys should be planned well to avoid disruption, especially during busy times. Sussex Community recommends completing surveys during quiet periods and involving clinical staff.

this in mind, Sussex Community also recommended to complete these surveys during quiet periods and involving clinical staff.

Using your own staff adds value through their implicit knowledge of the organisation, being thorough in known problem areas that third parties may miss.

Sussex Community’s Wi-Fi surveying method is innovative, cost-saving, and forward-thinking, addressing an issue many organisations will face as Wi-Fi upgrades become more common to support future NHS connectivity.

The DIY element of Sussex’s surveying achieves significant cost savings as it requires a low investment. This scalable method can be adopted by the wider NHS system, allowing more organisations to own their wireless surveying and deployment process. Sussex Community recommends all IT departments consider this approach.