Cisco and Nottingham University Hospital transform the experience of Cystic Fibrosis sufferers

In an initiative to improve the experiences of Cystic Fibrosis patients both during hospital stays and beyond, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust has announced a state of the art facility utilising technology from leading partners including Cisco.

George Jenkins OBE, Chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust Trustees, said: “People with Cystic Fibrosis regularly spend weeks at a time in hospital meaning their units become a second home. The personalised service offered by this unit, such as dedicated chefs and gym pods in comfortable surroundings, will support people’s wellbeing and make visits all the more relaxed, and provide the care that people need and deserve.”

Utilising Cisco video technology, individual patient rooms are equipped with technology to not only enable high-quality video calling with family and friends, but virtual participation in group classes.

Group participation wouldn’t previously have been possible owing to the nature of the condition and the need for separation between patients, but the introduction of virtual sessions will enable patients to learn to manage the unique requirements of their condition, including hyper-metabolism that demands a diet in excess of 5,000 calories a day, and the need for very specific physiotherapy.

“This remarkable facility is literally transforming the way in which we are caring for Cystic Fibrosis patients here in Nottingham. This occasion is a wonderful opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the many people who have made our dream of having such a first class facility become a reality, including patients, major charitable donors and of course our staff.” explained  Dr Jane Dewar, Cystic Fibrosis Consultant.

“This is a fantastic and impactful example of technology enriching people’s lives. What we are seeing here is the value of connectivity beyond just the technological, but between people. In this instance, connectivity and the ambition of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust are transforming the lives of people with Cystic Fibrosis. I whole-heartedly applaud the efforts of those involved and am extremely proud to be supporting them in their efforts.” added Terry Espiner, Client Director, Healthcare, Cisco UK & Ireland.

Additional information:

• The solution deployed by Nottingham University Hospital includes a state of the art Cisco Video network, utilising touch-screen intuitive control and high-definition cameras.
• The solution also makes use of the Cisco patented Speaker Track technology. This creates a far greater user experience as the camera dynamically changes viewing perspectives based on the individual speaking.
• The Gym pods make use of the Cisco DX80 range, providing the users with a unique, touch screen video enabled experience allowing them to communicate in a safe and friendly environment.
• Cisco’s Jabber Guest enables high-quality video calls from non-Cisco networks or devices with the simple click of a link.
• The facility is supported by a Cisco local area network (LAN), wireless capability and Cisco security.

About Nottingham University Hospital

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the biggest and busiest acute hospitals in England, employing 13,500 staff. We provide care to over 2.5million residents of Nottingham and its surrounding communities and specialist services to a further 3-4million people from neighbouring counties.

The Trust has three main sites:

• Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) – our emergency care site, where our Emergency Department (A&E) major trauma centre and Nottingham Children’s Hospital are located
• Nottingham City Hospital – where our cancer centre, heart centre and stroke services are based, and where we focus on planned care and the care of patients with long-term conditions
• Ropewalk House – where we provide a range of outpatient services, including hearing services

We have national and international reputations for specialist services such as stroke, renal, spinal, breast, neurosciences, cancer services and trauma.

The Trust has an annual income of £848million and approx 1,700 beds (87 wards).

We are at the forefront of many research programmes and new surgical procedures. Nottingham has Biomedical Research Units in Hearing and Digestive Diseases.

As a teaching trust we have a strong relationship with the University of Nottingham and other universities across the East Midlands, including Loughborough University – and we are part of the Olympic Legacy project. We play an important role in the education and training of doctors, nurses other healthcare professionals.

NUH is also leading the way in organ donation. You can support our ‘Be a Hero’ campaign onwww.nuh.nhs.uk.

To find out more about our hospitals, please visit our website www.nuh.nhs.uk. You can also follow @nottmhospitals on Twitter.

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