Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has begun to use a new solution for its patients to stay in touch with family and friends through video conferencing.
It was developed within a week late last month by Wi-Fi solutions company WiFi Spark working with other technology providers.
The solution consists of 246 Samsung tablet computers preloaded with the Spark Media platform and predefined apps to be securely loaned to patients.
It includes video calling applications such as Skype, Messenger and Hangouts, the Visionable video collaboration platform, access to streaming sites such as iPlayer and Netflix, access to Spark Media Entertainment services, wall gardened web links and a link to hospital radio.
No other apps can be added and the device can be locked to a food table or bedside cabinet.
OUH commissioned the solution to support patients who will be unable to have any visitors for an indeterminate time.
Quick offering
Steve Killick, product manager for WiFi Spark, said: “I am fortunate to know a lot of very clever and influential people in the industry so I was able to engage people very quickly to find a workable solution for OUH. All of the suppliers in this solution, including WiFi Spark, have taken significant cuts in their margins to be able to offer this to the trust as affordably as possible.”
He added that several other trusts have requested similar solutions for their hospitals.
