Two Way Radio Systems for Hospitals
The NHS provides one of the most essential services in the country, so reliable communication between hospital departments is essential. With sprawling sites across multiple buildings (sometimes covering several acres) and large groups of users at all levels, hospitals provide a classic example of an organisation which needs expert help to create the right radio system.
1 The Customer
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest acute and community providers in the West Midlands, employing over 8,000 staff and encompassing three main hospital sites in the region. DCS 2 Way helped the New Cross Hospital, one of the Trust’s three main sites.2 The Problem
The hospital had an old analogue radio system which consisted of hand portable radios and an analogue repeater. This provided the radio users with one radio channel across the entire site, which wasn’t an ideal situation for so many users in different hospital departments making frequent use of the radio system. The repeater was required to increase the coverage in and around the hospital.
Radio users around the hospital site struggled with coverage in an underground corridor where deliveries arrived to the hospital. When a new A&E department was built, the radios didn’t work despite this being an area that was crucial for the radio system to operate. Another issue was that the analogue repeater base station was only capable of providing radio users with one channel.
3 The Solution
A brand new Hytera system was supplied and commissioned by DCS 2 Way Radio Ltd which consisted of a variety of different radio handsets to suit the needs of users around the hospital:
- Hospital management are using Hytera PD-685 hand portable radios. The display on this radio shows the call sign of any radio that is transmitting or sending emergency calls. Another useful feature is the ability to call individual radios from its keypad. This is a compact, lightweight radio with an IP-67 rating, meaning that it’s water-submersible.
- The hospital security department uses Hytera PD-605 hand portable radios. These are non-display radios.
- The emergency planning department uses the Hytera PD-505, which is also a non-display radio.
- The hospital control room was equipped with a Hytera MD785 desk top base unit with a display so that call signs and emergency calls can be identified.
4 The Result
The new digital radio system resolved the hospital’s radio issues in a number of ways. The main benefit came from the additional coverage achieved from digital radios. With the new radio system both the A&E department and the underground delivery corridor have the essential radio signal coverage that was previously lacking.
Another huge benefit to the Royal Wolverhampton Hospital is that we’ve now provided them with additional channel capacity, enabling radio users in different hospital departments far better access to the radio system.
- Security
- Maintenance
- Management
- Emergency evacuation
This new system is also future proof: as the hospital grows and its radio needs increase, so can the radio system. It’s simply a case of adding repeaters to the system to increase the channel capacity.
Trade In
As with all of our customers we offer a trade-in facility which allows customers to achieve some value from their existing radio system.
We offer hospitals, healthcare centres and clinics up-to-date technology, expert advice and cost-effective radio hire packages.
Call us on 0800 294 7766 or complete an online enquiry form
