The Challenge: The hospital was experiencing call connection issues due to the design and build of its infrastructure.

Solution

Weak Mobile Signal Solution Deployed at St. James Hospital by Novatel Communications Ltd. Ireland
Novatel provided a customised repeater solution to improve call quality, mobile data connectivity and enable effective clear & reliable communication.

Case Study

St. James Hospital, Beaumont is a leading healthcare facility in Ireland that provides critical medical care to patients. The Hospital is Ireland’s largest acute academic teaching hospital and is based in Dublin’s south inner city. “Our fundamental purpose is the delivery of health treatment, care and diagnosis as well as health promotion and preventative services at local, regional and national levels. Our academic partner is Trinity College Dublin”.

The hospital has a complex building infrastructure that includes multiple buildings, floors, and departments. The hospital staff rely heavily on network connectivity to communicate effectively, to reach each other promptly during emergencies and to efficiently go about their hard working days without the frustration of poor to non-existent mobile phone coverage. Call drop offs, delays in connection and total failure of mobile phone signals were no longer a situation that the management wanted their staff to have to endure. The hospital was experiencing significant connectivity issues, especially on lower ground floors and certain areas of the building.

St. James Hospital Beaumont approached Novatel, a leading provider of customised Cellular solutions, to help them overcome their mobile phone connectivity challenges. We liaised with management and identified the root cause of the connectivity issues. Novate’s engineers conducted a detailed site survey, testing signal levels from all surrounding towers. An in-depth analysis of the hospital grounds and buildings was carried out so that we could design and plan the most appropriate communications solution but also an appropriate installation plan. A thorough walk through inspection of the existing building was carried out by our senior installations engineer, checking roof access, cable routes, and a careful examination of the current situation, the information was brought back to HQ where our in house design team skillfully created the system design and the installations plan.

The system design of a customised solution for a high-performance Cellular Repeater network included, advanced RF repeaters, external and internal antenna system, low loss cabling system and all associated components. The solution enabled seamless call connectivity on all networks in the areas that most required service, regardless of the user’s network or device type. The building due to its complexity presented many challenges for the Novatel Installation Engineers, this is where Novatel’s skill, knowledge, experience and expertise came into its own, as the installation and commissioning was delivered on time, on budget and all client expectations were met. Novatel submitted the necessary Risk assessments and Method statements prior to commencement of works.

The hospital is an extremely busy working environment caring for patients who are sick and who are in recovery, it is also the work space for highly efficient staff who are on the move and cannot be interrupted in their duties. Novatel listened to the request of management for minimal disruption, we planned accordingly and carried out the installation with care & respect ensuring that our presence was not an intrusion and that we blended into the general workings of the hospital.

St. James Hospital was incredibly pleased with the quality of service provided by Novatel and appreciated the company’s commitment to meeting its unique needs. The success of the project demonstrates Novatel’s expertise in providing customised cellular signal solutions to meet the complex needs of healthcare facilities.

Conclusion

Novatel’s solutions helped St James Hospital overcome its mobile phone call and data connectivity challenges and improve the quality of the staff’s working life and patient care. By providing a reliable and efficient cellular network, Novatel enabled effective communication. The success of this project demonstrates Novatel’s expertise in providing customised Cellular solutions to meet the unique needs of healthcare facilities.

Novatel engineers also configured the network to prioritise critical medical applications, such as patient monitoring and medical equipment, over non-essential applications, such as social media and entertainment.

The Novatel team provided training and support to the hospital staff, enabling them to manage their WiFi networks effectively. Novatel’s network management software provided real-time visibility into the network performance, enabling the hospital staff to identify and resolve connectivity issues proactively.

The result of the project was a reliable and efficient WiFi network that improved the hospital’s communication and enhanced the quality of patient care. The hospital staff could now access patient records and medical equipment seamlessly, enabling them to provide timely and accurate medical care.