The last year has been a difficult battle for our healthcare partners, and it has been an honor to support them in meeting all the challenges that have arisen. We have achieved a lot together and I am proud of the role that Cisco and technology have played in helping both patients and providers. I think it’s important to take advantage of the momentum of upgrades and technology adoption to strengthen the delivery of healthcare across the UK in the long run. However, after a year like 2020, while it’s exciting to start looking into the future of healthcare in the UK, I wish I didn’t start looking back.
The first days of COVID-19
While we weren’t entirely sure what was going on in early March 2020, our medical teams were only a few days ahead, trying to prepare for what the unknown would bring. When the confinements began, we helped more than 350 trusts and primary care organizations move non-essential workers home with secure, remote collaboration. We’ve installed collaboration platforms and expanded networks, with a temporary waiver of user and licensing restrictions, to ensure everyone is secure and connected as quickly as possible.
Help calls began to overload service 111 and capabilities were reached in a matter of days. Our solution teams were tasked with strengthening the systems to allow respondents to choose these calls effectively and provide timely care to those who needed it most. We enabled 1,000 additional additional house agents, reducing the tension of the existing 111 skills.
Acceleration of acute care
As the number of cases increased, so did the need for high-acuity care. We have worked with our NHS partners to create one staff for a hospital dedicated to COVID-19 “Nightingale in a box” – it could be set literally anywhere. Our goal was to create simplicity in design, deployed at high speed and with the support of Cisco TAC. Across the country, conventions and stadiums, enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity, were home to temporary field hospitals capable of treating the sickest patients, using networks, software and medical devices usually reserved for first-class ICUs. level. As these medical assets were rounded up, it was imperative to keep track of them all, medical devices, ventilators and more. We have helped make all of this a reality through a cohesive strategy, created from the ground up by our Cisco solution architects.
The end in sight
Finally, when we learned there was a vaccine in sight, the UK Health Service again asked Cisco. After the success of Nightingale, emerging vaccination centers were next on the horizon. Working with our healthcare partners, the plan was to implement a solid network in up to 1,800 non-medical sites, deploying the connectivity, security and Wi-Fi networks needed to provide safe and streamlined vaccinations, with 600 in the first plan. phase we agreed. in a cloud-based design that could be deployed to scale. This solution was an integral part of the ongoing vaccination efforts across the UK.
What’s below for healthcare in the UK
Although we are driven by the widespread distribution of vaccines in the UK, COVID-19 continues. And so do the changes and challenges he inflicted on our health care system; one who was already struggling. We have seen without presenting adoption of virtual care and ask how you can continue? We will need to catch up with the recovery and delay of referrals, as well as care for those who are now facing the long-term effects of COVID. All of this will require a sustainable plan around cloud-based services.
At Cisco, we are looking forward to the future of inclusive recovery, and I believe that the long-term viability of our system lies in the implementation of the technology and connectivity that COVID-19 forced us to adopt. We need solid, scalable platforms that can also create knowledge and visibility IoT asset management. Cloud-based health platforms will be key to driving the UK healthcare system forward. We know that the adoption of such solutions will relieve the tensions of our health system and COVID-19 has shown that it is possible at breakneck speed.
So yes, we are thinking about what will be next for healthcare in the UK.
Keep up to date with the latest developments in healthcare thinking leadership with ours #HealthNow blog and learn more about what Cisco is like reimagining health care for the future
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