Case Study

Wirral Community NHS Foundation Trust – Telephony Upgrade

Telephony Project – Unified Communications Solution

Key Highlights:

  • Provided full project management and continuous stakeholder reporting
  • Provided a qualified engineer to deliver:
    • An audit of existing telephony estate, creation of a gap analysis to Identify technical improvements required & areas for cost savings
    • Business case & Invitation to Tender creation
    • Lead procurement campaign to select primary supplier.
    • Work with internal teams & external supplier to ensure delivery of solution to the correct specification and quality.
  • Designed new dial plan & created a communication plan to inform all staff of the changes and why.
  • Engaged with internal teams (i.e Central booking/Switchboard etc) to deliver improved call flow scripts and wall boards, which improved the team’s effectiveness & provided improved management information.
  • Migration from legacy ISDN to resilient SIP trunking
  • Seamless migration with zero disruption to clinical services
  • Delivered a future-ready UC platform supporting scalability and interoperability

In Numbers:

  • 1,200+ handsets upgraded/replaced across multiple clinical and administrative sites
  • 300+ users migrated to soft phone with Microsoft Teams integration
  • £100,000+ saved annually by switching from ISDN to SIP trunks
  • 6-digit dial plan implemented, replacing a 4-digit internal numbering scheme
  • 9% uptime maintained throughout the transition
  • 100% issues resolved within SLA

The Challenge

This NHS Trust was operating on an ageing Cisco Call Manager platform that had reached end-of-support for both hardware and software. The existing ISDN-based external calling infrastructure was increasingly expensive and inflexible, posing a risk to operational continuity. Furthermore, internal extensions followed a 4-digit dial plan that conflicted with a neighbouring NHS Trust, making inter-site communication inefficient and error-prone.

The Trust required a secure, modernised Unified Communications solution that would address these technical & security risks, reduce costs, and improve communication across NHS sites.

The Solution

The Trust upgraded its telephony infrastructure to the latest Cisco Call Manager version, and latest Cisco UCS hardware, providing a supported and secure foundation for Unified Communications. A major part of the project involved migrating external voice traffic to resilient SIP trunking, eliminating reliance on costly ISDN lines.

A new 6-digit dial plan was implemented, resolving internal extension duplication issues and enabling seamless communication between neighbouring NHS Trust.

The platform refresh included hardware upgrades, phased cutover plans, and detailed stakeholder engagement. Change management and user communication & training were prioritised to ensure smooth adoption, with zero disruption to patient services.

In addition, the existing call recording solution was replaced with an improved call recording solution to enhance reliability and regulatory compliance. Cisco Contact Centre was upgraded, and departmental call handling scripts were rewritten to improve operational efficiency and deliver better management information.

The introduction of 2Ring gadgets enabled the creation of advanced wallboards and replaced the legacy switchboard call management solution, offering real-time visibility and improved reporting capabilities.

The Outcomes

The project was delivered on time and within budget, achieving significant long-term benefits for the Trust. The move to SIP trunking resulted in annual cost savings of over £100,000, while the platform upgrade enhanced the stability, security, and manageability of the telephony environment. The new 6-digit dial plan improved communication efficiency and reduced the risk of misdialling across Trusts.

Most importantly, the upgrade supports the Trust’s broader digital transformation strategy, enabling better collaboration, increased interoperability, and a future-proof UC platform aligned with NHS best practices.