At Solent NHS Trust we provide a wide range of community and mental health services across Southampton, Portsmouth, parts of Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.
However, as the demands on our services continue to grow, so too does the need for a robust, integrated, and innovative IT infrastructure that can support our teams and ultimately, improve patient outcomes.
The need for change
For over twelve years, our end-user support was outsourced to the same provider. While this relationship maintained our operations for over a decade, it became increasingly clear that the service model was no longer fit for purpose.
This approach not only impacted operational efficiency but also restricted our digital workforce strategy and our goal to enable our people to work more effectively. Recognising the need for change, we decided to completely revamp our IT support function. The objectives were clear, provide a refreshed, seamless, cost-effective IT device & support service and make sure that our staff had the digital tools they needed to deliver exceptional care to our patients.
Driving better ways of working
As part of our ambition to be a digitally mature organisation, we wanted to take proactive approach to drive continuous service improvements. This meant implementing a new refreshed IT support solution and service desk that would not only optimise the existing process but also provide us with up-to-date technical knowledge, to strengthen our business intelligence maturity. Enabling Solent to effectively measure outcomes and make informed decisions which support innovation and improvement.
Our goal is not only to simplify and enhance our digital operations but also to ensure that our staff benefit from these improvements. This meant ensuring consistency across our services. Working closely with partners to ensure the best value for money and, making Solent a great place to work and providing more time to care for our patients. Embedding this culture means that we can continually adapt and refine our digital offerings to better meet the needs of our communities.
Transforming our IT support
A key element of our IT service transformation was a comprehensive hardware refresh with the supporting IT Service Management Platform (ServiceNoW)
Which, saw the deployment of over 4,000 new laptops across our sites in just ten weeks. This replaced much of the outdated technology that was in use, particularly in our remote locations. To ensure the success of this initiative, we carried out a staff survey, receiving over 2,000 responses and provided our partner, Exponential-e with valuable insights to improve the new support operation.
One of the standout solutions introduced was an appointment-based system for IT support. This system significantly reduced walk-ins for IT issues, from 600 per month to less than 30, enabling us to provide more focused and efficient support. Today, every interaction with our IT support is tracked and monitored, with real-time feedback from end users driving continuous improvement.
This has resulted in an impressive 75 percent of tickets being resolved at the first point of contact and we have seen a 20 percent increase in users willing to provide feedback. This technology partnership with Exponential-e continues to grow stronger, with ongoing collaboration to ensure that our IT infrastructure remains agile and responsive to the needs of our staff and service users. Together, we are building a foundation for sustained digital innovation, enabling us to deliver world-class care across every region we serve.
A new era of IT support
Following the successful transition to the new support function, we have continued to develop our operations to meet our evolving needs. Service desk personnel have expanded, we have introduced out-of-hours coverage and enhanced the roaming tech hub to ensure comprehensive support across all our sites. Critical issues are now resolved swiftly, thanks to robust Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators, with dedicated response engineers and clear escalation processes in place.
We have not just adopted new technologies and ways of working but fostered a culture of innovation that empowers our staff and enhances the care we provide. By improving the IT support experience and the digital tools available to our people, we aim to improve productivity, data quality and overall user experience. These efforts will not only enhance the day-to-day operations of our Trust but also help us provide more effective, efficient care.
About the Author
Andrew Strevens is Chief Integration Officer for the new organisational Hampshire and IOW Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, previously CEO of Solent NHS Trust.
Featured image: Adobe
