Case Study

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

max20 supports the launch of new Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital

Executive Summary

This is the account of how max20 Project Solutions supported the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital (GMMTH) with the deployment of all digital equipment to ensure a successful opening of this new build on site at the Northern Care Alliance Salford Royal site.

Key Highlights:

  • Deployment to 8 Floors of a new build in 3 months
  • Wide ranging equipment
    • Desktops
    • Thin clients
    • Touch screens
    • Monitors
    • Telephony
    • Printers
    • PACS monitors
    • Computers on Wheels

In numbers:

  • 12,165 equipment items;
    • 2,220 Desktops
    • 960 High Power DTs
    • 1,740 Thin Clients
    • 880 IP phones
    • 690 TVs and Touchscreens
    • 85 Printers
    • 130 PACS monitors
    • A number of the following – iPads, webcams, barcode printers, dictation
      equipment, Imprivata readers, Zebra Printers, scanners, spider phones,
      wristband printers and keyboards/mice etc

The Challenge

Completing the mass deployment of a huge variety of equipment in a tight timescale whilst other supporting infrastructure was being tested and rolled out. Ensuring each item was where it was supposed to be, asset tagged and registers appropriately updated. Testing and ensuring sign off was obtained from relevant users.

The Solution

To ensure that such an advanced facility is able to operate, a team of suitable engineers was assembled along with a Project Manager to co-ordinate with the Trust stakeholders and plan and manage the teams’ activities. This team had to be skilled in the deployment of a myriad of different devices whist ensuring all were in the required location, tested and signed off. Careful co-ordination with Trust stakeholders and other digital teams within the NCA ensured this was achieved on time.

The Outcomes

max20 Project Solutions, which provides digital transformation services to the NHS, helped to prepare for the launch of Greater Manchester’s new trauma hospital.

A team from max20 supported the roll-out of digital technology throughout the state-of-the-art facility, which opened in May 2024. Their role covered everything from overseeing IT infrastructure to setting up computers and equipment and installing clinical software.

Situated at Salford Royal Infirmary, the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital (GMMTH) will treat patients with life-threatening injuries from Bolton, Salford and Wigan. The facility includes a resuscitation area, five emergency theatres, inpatient beds and diagnostic imaging and will be the only freestanding UK hospital with a helipad. The hospital will be operated by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

The max20 team provided project support for the entire digital workstream, working closely with NHS IT staff. The four-man team were aligned to the project from July to November 2023.

The Project Manager commented “Installing technology in a new facility like this involved numerous different tasks. First we ensured the IT infrastructure including wireless networks was in place, then liaised with procurement to determine the right type of device for each location, before setting up and asset tagging each item before installing software”.

 “Devices undergo thorough testing, initially by our team and then in situ by NHS ‘super users’. In addition to laptops, there was a host of other devices – printers, peripherals, TVs and screens – to be set up.  Additionally, there was a lot of specialist software to be installed, from EPR (electronic patient record) systems to theatre management and patient monitoring systems.”

max20 assigned a team who had previous experience of working within the NHS on max20 projects for the NCA so understood the IT infrastructure.  The Project Manager also commented “In the NHS, there are many different stakeholders, internal and external, so we liaise with people at all levels. Everything must be done in a timely manner and, given the critical nature of these systems, it is vital that the technology works – there is no room for errors. On a complex project like this, there are daily challenges to be overcome so it can be daunting – but it is also immensely rewarding.”

Don Tomlinson, Managing Director of max20 Project Solutions, added: “The new trauma hospital will be one of the most advanced of its type in the country, and we are proud to be supporting its launch. Technology is integral to the service the NHS delivers. By providing additional capacity when required, max20 enables NHS Trusts to deliver new projects like this while maintaining ‘business as usual’ for their existing patients.”