Messaging  |  2020-06-25

Critical Comms RF over Fiber Link for COVID-19 Ward

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The Royal Liverpool Hospital COVID-19 ward has had a new paging system installed by Stanley Security Healthcare, with the aid of ViaLite Communications.

When Stanley Healthcare was commissioned by the hospital’s contractor to install the critical communications system at short notice, ViaLite was approached to supply its Timing & Reference Blue OEM RF over fiber links for integration. The team at ViaLite responded quickly to the request; manufacturing and fully testing a solution within 24 hours!

Colin Barnes, Product Manager of Radio Communications at Stanley Healthcare said: “The equipment was fitted on site and worked first time. Thank you to the team at ViaLite for getting everything together so quickly.”

ViaLite’s Business Development Manager, Amair Khan, said: “I am incredibly proud to be part of a company that cares about what is happening in the world and will work tirelessly to help with this pandemic. The fact that we were able to assist our customers and suppliers by delivering and deploying a fully-tested solution in such a short space of time, especially during these difficult times, shows what a great team we have.”

The collaboration is the second time the two companies have worked together, having previously installed a system in London four years ago, which is in fault-free operation to this day. Further to their successful support with the COVID-19 ward, ViaLite has also been appointed to help with a Cancer ward.

Although the hospital has yet to be fully opened, the new unit has been set up to help deal with the city’s Coronavirus cases. The paging system will be used by the staff at the state-of-the-art ‘step-down’ ward as they help patients recovering from COVID-19 to regain their independence.

The Royal Liverpool Hospital was due to be completed by early 2017, but several setbacks prevented it from staying on schedule. Then, in early 2018, contractor Carillion was liquidated, halting construction of the hospital. Laing O’Rourke took over the contract and work restarted in November 2018. The date for completion has now been pushed back to autumn 2022 at the earliest