Case Study: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Vodafone provided Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) with connectivity to hospitals, care homes and people in the community who needed it most

Anyone who’s ever been to see a relative in hospital or checked in on a loved one in a care home will know how important these visits are. A break in the day. Someone to talk to. A lifeline. During the Coronavirus pandemic, some of these visits have no longer been able to take place. Vodafone provided BCUHB with connectivity and gave hundreds of people the chance to connect.

• Vodafone responded quickly to BCUHB’s request and immediately supplied 100 connections free of charge for six months and over 250 Unlimited Emergency Tariff SIMs were also provided to the board at a discounted rate
• The connections have enabled hundreds of older people across North Wales to keep in touch with loved ones during the pandemic
• The connectivity has also opened the door to the prospect for other technology projects at BCUHB, and started them on their digital journey

“We had good wireless connectivity on most of our sites, but we didn’t want to make any assumptions on connectivity in care homes or in peoples’ homes, so we recognised we needed good data coverage. The number of connections Vodafone generously donated, and so quickly, was amazing, and was hugely appreciated by the project teams” Brian Laing Informatics Project Manager

With hundreds of older and vulnerable people connected already, BCUHB hopes that the project will continue to have a wider impact and kick-start other projects too. “It’s likely that remote consultations with GP’s or visits to hospital outpatients clinics, will increasingly be offered as an available option,” says Brian.

BCUHB is also hoping projects like this will help tackle digital exclusion across Wales, particularly in the areas of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. “I'm hopeful that as we emerge from this global pandemic, that the NHS will continue with the momentum it has made on its digital transformation journey,” concludes Brian. “We have many of the tools and a growing appetite for change, so hopefully we'll be pushing an open door.”

Find out more about Vodafone's work with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
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