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Working at height innovation: maintenance engineers get spider power boost

Leading spider platform manufacturer Hinowa has recently launched two important new products. Hannah Treggalles, Marketing Director at Access Platform Sales (APS), explains their significant advantages for maintaining buildings and the national power network.

National spider lift rental specialist Paramount Platforms has become the first access hire company in the UK to take delivery of the new Hinowa 40.18 Lightlift Performance IIIS.

APS, Hinowa’s UK and Ireland distributor, has supplied the company with the tracked spider boom, now the largest in the Hinowa range, with a maximum working height of 40.2 metres.

Paramount Platforms Director Lee Kerr: “This Hinowa is the best spider lift in its performance range. It’s a gamechanger for our clients working up to 40 metres.”

Paramount Platforms sent the spider platform straight out on long-term hire to support planned maintenance at a prestigious financial HQ building in London.

The Hinowa Lightlift 40.18 has a maximum working height of 40.2m and a maximum outreach of 17.5m, with an unrestricted basket capacity of 230kg and, importantly, a restricted capacity of 300kg.

‘So easy to use’

Paramount Platforms Director Lee Kerr is impressed. He said: “This Hinowa is the best spider lift in its performance range. It’s a gamechanger for working at heights approaching 40 metres and where significant outreach is needed.

“We almost always supply large spider lifts with an operator. The Hinowa 40.18 is so easy to use, if the client has used other Hinowa platforms, I have no qualms about them taking the 40.18 on self-drive hire.”

Being easy to use was not just a nice to have. It also opened up the possibility of hiring large platforms to a new segment of customers, by influencing judgements about rental risks.

Lee Kerr said: “It’s as simple to operate as a 17-metre Hinowa. Members of the facilities management team who were the first to use it were amazed at its performance, including how quiet it is.”

Reduced carbon footprint

Paramount Platforms has taken a bi-energy Hinowa 40.18, with a low-emissions diesel engine and lithium batteries for all-electric zero-emissions and low carbon operation.

This provides the rental company with maximum flexibility for outdoor and indoor operation, also for working in ultra low emissions zones and where noise-level restrictions apply. It can also be supplied with diesel engine only or solely with lithium battery power.

Founded in 2009, Paramount Platforms has one of the biggest spider  fleets in the UK, with working heights from 15.7m to 42m, the biggest proportion of them Hinowa platforms.

Hinowa 40.18

APS Key Accounts Director Linda Betts, said: “Hinowa puts a huge amount of investment into making all their platforms extremely easy to operate, with smart functions that ensure they’re very safe and reliable.

“The Hinowa 40.18 typifies this approach. Its up-and-over capability will solve just as many lower working height challenges where outreach is vital, allowing these tasks to be completed with less disruption and cost.”

Narrow stabilisation

The Hinowa Lightlift 40.18 has a larger basket (2,000mm by 700mm), big enough to take up to three operatives within the 300kg restricted capacity. In this higher capacity set-up, the maximum working height is still 40.2m but outreach is reduced to 16.5m.

The platform’s outriggers can also be operated in a narrow stabilisation area for – 6,675mm by 3,640mm compared with a standard stabilisation area of 5,375mm by 5,040mm. In this set-up, maximum working height is 35m and outreach just under 11m, with a restricted 230kg capacity.

When stowed for tracking, the Lightlift 40.18 is still very compact, with a width of 1,200mm and a height of 1,199mm. That is just 230mm wider than a 20m Hinowa Lightlift 20.10, and the same stowed height.

Power line maintenance boost

Working at height is not just a matter of how high its basket can be raised from the ground. In the power generation sector, the materials the basket is made from also count.

It is why Arborite Tree Services has become the first business in the UK to buy a Hinowa spider platform with a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) bucket.

APS has supplied Arborite with a Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 Performance IIIS fitted with the specialist bucket to work on trees adjacent to live high voltage power lines.

Working from access platforms with GRP buckets is a key safety requirement when working in the vicinity of high voltage electrical equipment or power lines.

It helps protect the operator should they inadvertently come into contact with a power cable and reduces the risk of electricity arcing across to the machine.

Hampshire-based Arborite is using its Lightlift 20.10 to maintain trees along power lines for distribution network operator (DNO) SSE.

Company owner Jon Challinor said: “We wanted a Hinowa because, being very robust and reliable, they’re the best platforms for tree work.

“Now we can work for SSE on trees adjacent to live power lines. This is something DNOs prefer because they don’t need to shut down power and hire in generators to maintain services.”

GRP buckets – new opportunities

APS Regional Business Manager Jonathan Wiseman said: “Our customers have been keenly looking forward to the arrival of Hinowa spider lifts with GRP buckets.

GRP bucket

“They open up new opportunities for our customers in the power generation sector and, of course, the platforms are fully capable of fulfilling all other working at height tasks.

“When combined with new Hinowa Lightlift spider lifts, they are fully CE-certified. They can also be retrofitted to platforms built from the start of July 2023, once Hinowa has gone through a confirmation process.”

Founded in 2007, Arborite had operated a Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 spider lift with a standard aluminium basket for three years.

Better off-road capability

The company’s teams could still work next to high voltage lines but only during planned shutdowns when the power had been switched off.

Having a Hinowa with a fully-compliant GRP bucket creates opportunities to do more work for SSE adjacent to live power lines with voltages ranging from 11,000v to 33,000v.

Arborite also operates a Land-Rover truck mount, which has a GRP bucket and a 14m maximum working height.

However, the Hinowa LL 20.10 has better off-road capability and, with a maximum working height of 20.1m and a maximum reach of 9.7m, can tackle more challenging tree maintenance tasks.

APS has taken back Arborite’s previous Hinowa LL 20.10 in part exchange. It has also supplied the company with a new 3.5t trailer to tow its new spider lift using a 4×4 vehicle or a van with a standard car driving licence.

Interchangeable with standard basket

Hinowa’s new GRP bucket has been launched after being put through a stringent design and testing programme to ensure it complies with all safety regulations, including passing flame retardancy tests.

Other key performance features include:

  • The GRP bucket can be lifted on and off the boom in the same way as a standard basket to aid tracking in confined spaces;
  • It can be used interchangeably with a standard basket with no adaptations to any platform equipment;
  • The platform has the same unrestricted 230kg capacity and same wind rating as the standard basket;
  • As with the standard basket, water and compressed air lines can be accessed from the GRP bucket.

GRP bucket – six Hinowa platforms

The new GRP bucket can be used with six Hinowa spider lift models: the Lightlift 13.70, Lightlift 15.70, Lightlift 17.75, Lightlift 18.80. Lightlift 20.10 and the Lightlift 26.14.

It means spider lift operators, including platform rental companies, can buy a limited number of GRP buckets and provide them for use across a fleet of Hinowa platforms with different working heights.

www.accessplatforms.co.uk

Fusion21 invites bids for £80 million Lifts Framework

Procurement organisation and social enterprise Fusion21 has announced the fourth generation of its Lifts Framework worth up to £80 million over four years and is now inviting bids from interested contractors and consultants of any size, providing local, regional or national coverage.

The framework is designed to deliver lift related works and services to estates across the public sector, including housing, education, and healthcare providers. It will support the design, installation, servicing, testing and refurbishment works of passenger/goods lifts, stair lifts and lift consultancy services.

Split into a total of five lots, the framework structure is:

  • Lot 1 Passenger/ goods lifts – servicing and maintenance
  • Lot 2 LOLER thorough examinations
  • Lot 3 Passenger/ goods lifts – installation, refurbishment and upgrading
  • Lot 4 Domestic lifts – installation and servicing
  • Lot 5 Lift consultancy

Peter Francis, Executive Director of Operations at Fusion21 said: “Fusion21 members have an ongoing requirement for vertical transportation equipment which they are legally obliged to maintain. Due to launch in July 2024, the renewal of this framework will enable us to continue offering a framework which support members’ compliance requirements. We welcome bids from organisations, large or small, to provide specialist services for our members. 

“Our refreshed offer will provide a compliant, efficient, and quality framework with members able to benefit from greater cost efficiencies, flexible call-off options and geographical coverage across the UK down to a regional and local level.

“As with all of Fusion21’s frameworks, the Lifts Framework will also support members to deliver social value they can see in communities, aligned with their organisational priorities.”

Tender applications are welcome from interested organisations that meet the criteria set out in the tender documentation, now available on the Delta e-Sourcing Portal via the following link:

hubs.li/Q02ncLmb0

The submission deadline is 10am on Monday 8 April 2024.

GPSJ Interview with Natasha Phillips

The former NHS CNIO for England has joined the Highland Marketing advisory board. Here, she talks to GPSJ about her passion for transformation, the role of technology, and her mission to put nurses at the heart of debate about both.

Natasha Phillips is on a mission. “I want to bring the nursing view to all discussions where decisions are being made,” she told GPSJ. “Wherever there is not a nurse, we want to put one.”

The red thread of a career 

This is not a new mission for the nursing, transformation, and digital leader. Phillips started her career in London thirty years ago and has held many operational leadership roles.

She led large-scale change projects such as the Hospital@Night programme for Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, before moving to University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

There, she led an exemplar ward transformation programme, before becoming chief nursing informatics officer, and heading up the first, enterprise-wide deployment of the Epic electronic patient record. That took her to NHS England, where she became the first CNIO in 2020.

“If you look at the red thread of my career, it is a passion for improving our health and care systems which has led me to take on roles and projects where I can do this.

“Early on, I recognised the value of working with colleagues in IT and analytics, to use data and technology to support effective clinical improvements.”

Creating a support network for digital nurses

One of the painful lessons the health service learned from the National Programme for IT in the NHS is that clinical engagement is essential if EPR deployments are going to be successful.

Doctors got involved as the chief clinical information officer role was established. But nursing involvement is more recent, and Phillips says she felt “lonely” leading UCLH’s EPR implementation.

To counter this, she linked in with colleagues in the US and Nordic countries “so there were other nurses who had been on the journey to learn from.” Her ambition as national CNIO was to make sure that other nursing colleagues felt similarly supported.

To this end, she led the production of a ‘What Good Looks Like’ framework for nursing aimed at board-level nurse leaders. The framework has seven success measures for the development of organisations in which nurses and other clinicians can work in a supportive digital healthcare environment, enabling them to provide safe and effective care.

She also co-chaired the Health Education England-commissioned ‘Phillips Ives Nursing and Midwifery Review.’ This built on the Topol Review to identify how person-centred practice will evolve as nurses use more technology to deliver care in the next five, ten and 20 years.

The findings highlight how education must shift to prepare nurses to deliver person-centred care in a digital health and care system.

Education and skills for life and leadership

Frustratingly, the review has yet to be published; but Phillips says it’s clear that digital education and skills will need to be shot through future careers.

“We need to start with undergraduate education, so people have the core skills they will need to make use of new technology when it is available,” she says.

“Then, we need to look at postgraduate education. If people are specialising – if they are becoming an asthma nurse, or whatever – then we need to ask: ‘where is the technology in that?’ Then, there are deployments, for which we need to talk about training, and how to make sure we are training people in context.

“And alongside all that, we have our CNIOs and nurse leaders in the digital space. We wouldn’t appoint somebody to a specialist job unless they had an appropriate qualification, and the same needs to apply to people choosing to work in digital. We have the NHS Digital Academy, but we need to do more.”

Frontline digitisation and investing in EPRs 

The best education and skills are useless without good technology. NHS England is leading a £900 million frontline digitisation programme to complete the NPfIT agenda of digitising the acute sector by March 2026.

In an apparent bid to prevent some of the business continuity and reporting problems that have plagued some previous implementations, it is looking for “tiger teams” to go in and support trusts that have not deployed an EPR before.

However, Phillips argues the lesson of successful implementations, such as the one at UCLH, is to focus on benefits. “Trusts tend to decide to implement an EPR, and ask how they are going to do it,” she says. “Instead, they should ask what the benefits are going to be, and how to achieve them.

“That way, you can start the design phase earlier.” Plus, she adds, trusts need to invest in their EPRs on an ongoing basis. For example, she says, they need to focus on workforce engagement and change management to make sure the systems are fit for purpose and are reducing the administrative burden, not adding to it.

And they need to build-out newer ideas, like truly closed-loop electronic prescribing and medicines administration, with single unit dosing capabilities, and greater device integration, to further reduce that burden.

Finding the technology to solve problems

Digital transformation is about more than hospitals and about more than EPRs (even if they remain the focus of national leadership and press attention). Phillips certainly has plenty of items on her health tech wish-list.

“While we need technologies like EPRs to support more effective communication between care teams, we also need technology to support other areas of practice,” she says. “We are starting to see this with technology-enabled models for virtual wards and remote monitoring.

“Beyond this, we need the nursing workforce to generate the next wave of digital innovation that tackles challenges like the nursing workforce shortage.”

Examples exist. Phillips outlines one from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, which had a shortage of tissue viability specialist nurses. Using technology, specialist TVN nurses were able to attend the patient’s bedside to visualise the wound and guide a bedside nurse to manage it.

However, she says: “We need much more nurse led innovation like this to address the real challenges we face.”

A passion for change

Phillips became national CNIO as NHSX was formed. The unit aimed to bridge a gap between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, to create space to develop NHS IT policy, and to make best use of the delivery capacity of NHS Digital.

In this environment, Phillips made great strides in advancing nursing’s inclusion in the digital agenda. During her tenure, the number of CNIOs in provider organisations grew to 85%, and this translated to a stronger clinical voice in digital change programmes up and down the country.

More recently, she moved on to establish Future Nurse, a consultancy working with the industry and the health and care system to support effective clinically-informed digital transformation.

Phillips describes this as a natural next step in her career, and one that is still defined by that red thread of passion for: “Making the NHS better, improving the lives of clinicians, and making sure that patients get great care.”

Nurses are now more involved in designing and implementing existing digital systems like EPRs. But next, nurses must be involved in identifying and ideating technological innovations.

“In this next stage of my career, I aim to create a much closer working relationship between nursing and health tech vendors,” she says.

“That will ensure technological innovations are informed by the challenges nurses face in daily practice and the opportunities they see to do things differently. Watch this space to see how we will deliver this through Future Nurse.”

Fusion21 names suppliers appointed to £820 million Heating, Renewables and Electrical Framework

Procurement organisation Fusion21 has revealed the suppliers successfully appointed to its national Heating, Renewables and Electrical Framework worth up to £820 million over a four-year period.

A total of 80 specialist firms – 84% being SMEs, have secured a place on the framework which is now in its fourth generation and has been setup to help the owners of domestic and non-domestic buildings to ensure they are safe and compliant in respect of heating and electrical installations and to support their journey to carbon net zero.

Alongside traditional heating installations and electrical testing/works, it also covers innovative technologies dedicated to sustainable heating solutions (including ground source and air source heating) and quality assurance audits. The framework is specifically designed to support public sector organisations, including housing, education, and healthcare providers.

Peter Francis, Executive Director of Operations at Fusion21 said: “We’ve listened to member and supply chain feedback and streamlined previous lots to create a new generation of the Heating, Renewables and Electrical Framework which combines a full heating offer, renewable technology, quality assurance audits and two electrical lots.

“In addition to working with a team of technical procurement experts and a rigorously assessed and approved supply chain, Fusion21 members accessing this offer will benefit from a compliant and efficient route to market, flexible call-off options and geographical coverage across the UK, down to a regional and local level. 

“As with all Fusion21’s frameworks, this latest framework enables our members to deliver social value within their communities, aligned to their organisational priorities.”

Successful suppliers appointed to Fusion21’s national Heating, Renewables and Electrical Framework:

An NHS first for public cloud: Homerton Healthcare achieves milestone with Sectra imaging technology

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has become the first organisation anywhere in the NHS to deploy Sectra’s enterprise imaging service using public cloud.

The deployment has shown that NHS patient imaging can be efficiently accessed from a secure public cloud environment, just as quickly as when data is stored on-premise.

This has proven important for busy radiology teams at the trust, who have been using the service since the summer, to help them analyse and report on thousands of patient scans that are a vital part of patient diagnosis. The trust delivers around 250,000 imaging reports for patients each year.

Adham Nicola, PACS manager for Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As a first-of-type for public cloud in the NHS, we have proven this works. Being bleeding edge can be a challenge. But we have achieved a milestone in cloud adoption for NHS imaging.

“Feedback from radiologists has been nothing but positive. The system is highly reliable, secure, resilient and performs well, supporting our diagnostic teams with lots more functionality that is proving very popular with radiologists. This also has the potential to help us to adopt AI into the future.”

The enterprise imaging service has been deployed using the Sectra One Cloud subscription model. Sectra is providing a fully managed Software as a Service (SaaS), meaning staff at the trust will automatically gain access to relevant functionality and tools as they are released.

Staff have already praised features new to them, including a chat tool, which allows radiologists to quickly share images and communicate with each other as they create reports.

Orthopaedic templating functionality is helping surgeons as they plan for surgery, and means the trust is no longer reliant on a third-party application.

And a business intelligence product is allowing managers to better track activity, create analysis charts, and understand turnaround times and pressure points.

Cross-site reporting functionality will also help to lay foundations for future wider sub-speciality collaboration in the region, in areas such as paediatric and stroke radiology.

The scalable deployment signals an important step for imaging strategy for North East London’s integrated care system. Homerton Healthcare is the first of three trusts in the North East London Health and Care Partnership planning to adopt enterprise imaging in the public cloud.

Niall Canavan, IT director at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and chief information officer for North East London Health and Care Partnership, said: “Having imaging available in the public cloud will enable closer collaboration and better access to expertise, especially in areas where there are finite number of specialist radiologists. The team at Homerton Healthcare have not only made a significant achievement in demonstrating to the NHS what is possible in the cloud, but have completed a stage towards regional consolidation.”

Jane Rendall, UK and Ireland managing director for Sectra, said: “What has been achieved by pioneering imaging professionals in Homerton could very quickly become the norm in the NHS. I’m sure many trusts, integrated care systems and NHS imaging networks will look to the trust to learn how they can replicate success as they transition to public cloud. We will certainly be sharing knowledge from this deployment with other NHS customers, as public cloud adoption continues at pace with the potential to enhance how staff work and to save important time in technology adoption.”

Peoplesafe partners with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust

Safety technology provider, Peoplesafe, has extended its partnership with the UK’s pioneering personal safety charity and leading stalking authority, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Combining a wealth of expertise, the partnership will offer an ongoing holistic service to organisations, combining expert advice on personal safety strategy – including policy creation and training – with industry-leading personal safety technology that protects people in every situation.

Working together, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will undertake a full audit for Peoplesafe’s existing and new clients, providing them with implementation plans to help upskill and empower workforces to effectively assess, mitigate, and manage personal safety risks, while Peoplesafe will work on executing plans to ensure the right technology is used for the right situations and rolling them out at scale.

Established in 1986, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust was founded following the disappearance of 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh, an estate agent and lone worker who went to meet a client and never returned. Suzy was never found and was legally declared dead in 1993. The Trust is widely regarded as a field expert in lone-working and personal safety training and endorses the selection and use of lone-worker technologies in line with requirements of the workforce to safeguard employees.

Working together, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will undertake a full audit for businesses, providing them with implementation plans to help upskill and empower workforces to effectively assess, mitigate, and manage personal safety risks, while Peoplesafe will work on executing plans to ensure the right technology is used for the right situations and rolling them out at scale.

“For more than 37 years, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust has worked tirelessly to raise greater awareness of personal safety and stalking issues. Through the introduction of pioneering technology, we are excited to join forces in order to drive our shared vision, to demand systemic change and promote a society in which people are better supported and feel safer” says Naz Dossa, CEO, Peoplesafe.

“The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is delighted to continue its collaboration with Peoplesafe to support organisations in addressing lone-working and improving personal safety. We promote the use of lone worker safety technologies as part of Suzy’s Charter for Workplace Safety and look forward to working across all sectors to embed personal safety as a priority across all workplaces” says Emma Lingley-Clark, Interim CEO of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

To mark the partnership, Peoplesafe and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will be hosting a joint webinar, hosted by the Women in Health & Safety group on 19th March.

Alcidion launches Miya Results Tracking in response to patient safety challenge

A systemic cause of patient harm could be better avoided with the help of technology, following the launch of Miya Results Tracking by health tech company Alcidion.

The new digital solution is designed to reduce the risk of test results not being followed up. It has been built to help healthcare professionals in hospital settings to more easily visualise, prioritise and acknowledge high volumes of tests results generated for patients every day, and to take appropriate action in a timely manner.

The issue of results not being acknowledged has become significant in healthcare systems around the world – posing risks including late or missed diagnosis for patients, potentially delayed treatment, and additional cost for healthcare systems.

Academic studies have revealed variation in the extent of the problem but in some cases, literature has shown as many as 62% of test results can go unacknowledged in inpatient settings, and as many as 75% in emergency departments (1). However, it is important to acknowledge that this is often a challenge caused by systems and processes used to manage results, rather than being the fault of busy clinicians.

Dr Paul Deffley, UK chief medical officer for Alcidion, said: “A billion laboratory tests alone are carried out in England and Wales each year at a cost of £2.2bn, many of them in hospital settings – where countless other scans and investigations are also carried out. Disparate ways that such high volumes of results are presented to busy clinicians within healthcare systems, can often create room for error that digital technologies haven’t adequately responded to until now.

“We aim to change that through Miya Results Tracking, which provides healthcare teams with a purpose-built mechanism to manage results more safely, at-scale, from a single screen. This is an important new capability for hospitals in reducing risks and in tackling what has become a critical patient safety issue around the world. It will equip clinical departments and individual clinicians with a digital safety net to help them quickly recognise and appropriately act on diagnostic information.”

The solution works by bringing together and presenting patient results requested in hospital settings through a single screen. Clinical teams can access information from any location. They can filter results to departmental views, and can configure the system to look at relevant results, identify high-priority results that need to be actioned, or to see at-a-glance any outstanding results that need to be filed.

Results can also be filtered at an individual level – both for the clinician requesting tests, and at the patient level. This means clinicians can more easily ensure they have acknowledged and acted on results they have requested, and that decisions can be made for patients in context of a complete set of results.

Staff can create onward plans for patients from the same screen, ordering repeat or follow up examinations when needed, and requesting future review appointments.

Kate Quirke, Alcidion’s CEO, said: “Hospitals need to manage many thousands of results in complex and busy environments. Through Miya Results Tracking, we have built a new capability to help support healthcare teams to do this more safely, whilst reducing the burden on busy clinicians under pressure. We believe this has the potential to help to address an important safety challenge in healthcare, and that strategically this has relevance to digital strategies being progressed in individual hospitals and across integrated care systems.” 

Built using the Miya Precision platform, Miya Results Tracking uses the FHIR interoperability standard to integrate with other hospital systems – allowing it to bring data into a single location for clinicians. It tracks a complete range of hospital results including pre-admission results, and those from inpatient and emergency department encounters. Results received after the patient leaves the hospital are also tracked, which is expected to address a complex challenge currently encountered in managing results after a patient has been discharged.

Miya Results Tracking can be deployed as part of a modular electronic patient record, or as a standalone solution, and can be used to enhance other technologies, such as a patient flow solution. For example, hospitals already using Alcidion’s Miya Flow application, will be able to use the new capability to view and manage results from the digital patient journey board.

Statement on Police Scotland’s Proportionate Response to Crime pilot evaluation

In response to the publication of Police Scotland’s evaluation of the Proportionate Response to Crime pilot in the North East of Scotland, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said:

“Police Scotland have consistently stated that officers in the north-east will continue to investigate all reported crimes, with every case fully assessed and given a proportionate response based on threat, harm and risk. Building and maintaining public confidence remains key to any change in approach.

“Despite deeply challenging financial circumstances due to the UK Government settlement, our Budget for next year includes record police funding of £1.55 billion – an increase of £92.7 million. Scotland continues to have more police officers per head of population than England and Wales and recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974.”

NHS Scotland’s Right Decision Service built on Tactuum technology

Once-for-Scotland project uses Tactuum’s Quris platform to make clinical guidance and policy tools available to clinicians when and where they need them

Clinicians in Scotland have easy access to clinical guidelines and validated decision support tools using the Right Decision Service (RDS), built on technology developed by Tactuum.

The RDS is a once-for-Scotland national project funded by the Scottish Government and run by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

It supports or hosts clinical guidance and policy intranets, websites and apps developed by health boards and specialist services, using Tactuum’s Quris Clinical Companion software.

It also holds a unique suite of UK Conformity Assessed decision support tools developed with InnoScot Health as registered manufacturer.

Dr Ann Wales, programme lead for knowledge and decision support at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government set an objective for the Right Decision Service to deliver a once-for-Scotland decision support platform: a single place that users could go to for national guidelines, local guidelines, pathways, calculators, risk scoring tools and other types of decision support.

“Now, we have a single platform, with a single website, and a single app. We have a series of controls to ensure the quality of what is being shown to users, while clinicians can pick and choose what is relevant to them.

“It’s all about providing quick and easy access to validated guidance with the aim of delivering more standardised, safer care in line with evidence-based practice.”

Alongside national advice published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, NHS boards and partner organisations invest considerable time and effort in developing clinician guidance and decision support tools for their staff. However, these can often be held on paper or on intranets, from where they are hard to maintain and access.

Tactuum’s Quris Clinical Companion has been developed to enable NHS health boards and trusts to manage the development, governance and publication of clinical guidance and policies and make tools available to clinicians when and where they need them.

The Quris Clinical Companion offers templates to help governance leads and guideline or policy creators to develop action-focused content, which is exposed to clinicians through a website, their electronic patient record, or an app.

The tools are available offline, so they can be used even when there is no internet access or in an emergency. Tactuum worked closely with clinical experts in the US and Scotland on the technology.

Over a decade, the Scottish Government funded pilots and guideline websites and apps for health boards and national hospital services.

When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, 25 apps were in use in health and care services across the country, and the decision was made to consolidate them into the RDS single platform, to provide a single, national service and a platform for further development.  

Mark Buchner, chief executive of Tactuum, said: “Because we had different deployments of Quris across Scotland, it made sense to integrate them into a single service. It’s exciting to see the RDS in use as a single resource for professionals across the whole country and available to more than 90,000 users.

“Quris has also been able to reduce the number of systems health boards have been using into a single, joined-up collaborative platform. We look forward to working with Healthcare  Improvement Scotland and the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre on further innovations that directly impact front-line staff and patient care. 

“We also hope the success of Quris and RDS will show other health organisations what can be achieved at a range of scales; from individual clinical departments, to hospital, trust or health board level, right up to integrated care system or national delivery of sharable, linked clinical resources.”

Twelve territorial health boards, six health and social care partnerships, six national NHS boards, three national social care organisations, and ten programmes and networks are delivering tools through the RDS.

Current developments for Quris and RDS include the integration of decision support into electronic health record systems and the use of AI to speed up guideline development, management and measurement of impact.

Stabilising the NHS – it’s going to take a lot more than AI  

A general election is coming, and Labour is likely to win. At its January meeting, the Highland Marketing advisory board discussed what should be on shadow health and social care secretary Wes Streeting’s agenda for health, care and technology.   

A general election must be held before the end of January next year, and most commentators are expecting prime minister Rishi Sunak to go to the polls after the spring Budget or autumn spending statement. 

Unless the polls are wrong, or there is a dramatic change in UK political fortunes, Labour will come to power whenever the election takes place. That has triggered interest in what shadow health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has been saying about health, care, and technology.  

Streeting has been deliberately ruffling feathers by arguing that “Labour is too nostalgic about the NHS” and the health service needs “reform” more than it needs money (The Sun).  

While it’s not yet clear what “reform” would look like, Labour’s “mission” for government talks about a shift towards prevention, to reduce demand on health and social care, and a shift towards community and social care, to ease pressure on the acute sector and improve access for patients.  

Willing to face up to the task ahead?  

The Highland Marketing advisory board thought this was disappointing and inadequate to the challenge ahead (a week after their debate, a coalition of experts assembled by the BMJ urged the next government to declare the state of the NHS a national emergency).  

“Saying ‘there is no more money’ is not an acceptable message,” entrepreneur Ravi Kumar argued. “There are 1.3 million people working in the NHS, and they all vote, so they need to say they are going to find the money.”   

Back in 1997, New Labour went to the polls warning there were “24 hours to save the NHS.” Even so, it tried to hold the line on Conservative Party funding commitments and installed the very Old Labour Frank Dobson as health secretary to keep the lid on industrial unrest.  

It was forced to change track in 2000, following a winter crisis that unlocked a decade of unprecedented funding increases and The NHS Plan – billed, Wes Streeting might like to note, as ‘a plan for investment: a plan for reform.’   

The money paid for new regulators, hospitals, scanners and IT, and the capacity to drive down waiting lists and times. Admittedly, less progress was made on community and primary care reforms and on public health.  

Today, both need urgent attention and there will be consequences if they don’t get it, ranging from worsening health inequalities, to further council bankruptcies, to even more pressure on the NHS. However, the NHS is not responsible for their organisation or delivery, which falls to councils and the private sector, so there is only so much that NHS policy can achieve.  

“In policy terms, we saw another boost for these ideas in the Five Year Forward View in 2014 and the NHS Long Term Plan in 2019, but not much has come of them,” industry expert David Hancock pointed out. “So, if Labour is going to stick with them, the question has to be: what is different this time?”  

Natasha Phillips, the former national CNIO who has just joined the advisory board (Hospital Hub), hoped that Labour isn’t thinking that another round of reorganisation will do the trick.  

“I think the first ask of any new government is: please do not re-invent the wheel or re-organise,” she said. “There are no perfect structures, and we all know from repeated re-organisations that changing them takes time and distracts from delivery. What we need to do is make the structures that we have work. That means workforce – boots on the ground and the money to pay for them.”  

AI to the rescue!  

Labour’s “mission” also puts a great deal of faith in technology. For example, it flags, the potential of AI and generative AI to read scans and deal with routine administration. Andy Kinnear, a former NHS CIO and consultant, said there is no doubt that both will be used widely in healthcare.  

“Generative AI has gone from ‘that’s an interesting idea’ to reality in less than a year, and it’s going to rip across every area of our lives,” he said. “So, it’s not surprising Labour is talking about this, but there’s a lot we don’t know. Does radiology cease to exist as a profession, because AI can read the scans for us?  

“Do 50,000 nurse vacancies no longer matter, because generative AI can make the workforce so efficient we don’t need those people?” Framed this way, it’s pretty obvious the answer is ‘no.’ So, if AI is going to support, rather than replace, workers and pathways, it’s not going to be a free good.  

As radiology expert Rizwan Malik asked: “If Labour is saying there is no money, where is the money going to come from to do this? Because the NHS is recognised internationally as a leader on AI, but most of the things that have been deployed to date have been funded by the centre. Very little washes its face.  

“If this is going to be rolled out more widely, local organisations are going to need to get business cases together, and it won’t be easy, when you take into account all the costs, including the server-end costs, and the implementation costs, and the change management…”  

To which Natasha Phillips added training and education. “It’s easy for a party to say how much technology they will buy, but it’s not about just buying technology,” she said. “There will need to be investment in the workforce to get the most out of it.”  

Jeremy Nettle, chair of the advisory board, agreed with this. “AI is a tool for clinicians and administrators to use, it is not a replacement for them,” he said. “And for it to be a tool, it needs to be funded. If you are going to use technology, and you want to use it to support a first-class service, there has to be the investment required to make it work.”  

What about the rest of NHS IT?  

It might be easier to make this kind of investment in AI if the rest of NHS IT was prepped and ready. In reality, too many organisations are working with overloaded infrastructure, patchy wi-fi, aging devices, and software systems that don’t integrate with each other – if they exist (fuller discussion, Health Tech World).  

NHS England is running a frontline digitisation programme to try and get all trusts up to a basic level when it comes to electronic patient record capability. But successive cuts to the IT funding announced in the 2021 Budget mean it has been scaled back.  

Trusts hoping to swap their legacy IT for “next generation” systems or to extend their EPR functionality are likely to be disappointed. Even the target to get EPRs into the trusts that don’t have them has been pushed back a year (digitalhealth.net).  

“People are talking about AI as a silver bullet, and we have been down this road before,” said Cindy Fedell, a former NHS CIO who now works in Canada. “You can’t just drive down one road. We have crumbling infrastructure. Some hospitals don’t have EPRs. We need to invest in cyber security. There’s a lot to be done.”  

And why do so many tech plans fail?  

The latest end date for frontline digitisation is March 2026, which is well into the lifespan of the next government. So far, though, Labour has said nothing about the programme. Nor has it said what it will do about other, more recent, national projects, such as the significant investment that has been made in shared care records.  

Yet, David Hancock pointed out, it will either need interoperable systems or something like SCRs if it is serious about integrated care and public health. And, for the moment, it’s SCRs that are the best bet for sharing longitudinal health data with care teams and population health management experts.  

Labour is keen on the NHS App. Its mission says it will become a “one stop shop” for health information, fed by providers but “owned by the patient” to drive more “personalised” care across the system.  

This sounds great, but very similar claims were made for putting patient data and information on “the information superhighway” back in 2000, in private personal health records like Microsoft Health Vault in the Cameron era, and portals today.  

Indeed, some of Labour’s specific promises are less ambitious than previous commitments. For instance, the “mission” says it will use the Digital Transformation Fund to make sure that patients can “see their medical records through the app.”  

When now chancellor and then health secretary Jeremy Hunt was promising patients read-write access as part of his “paperless by 2018” plans (thebmj). The advisory board felt Labour should reflect on why previous efforts to put information into the hands of patients to drive choice, engagement, and better outcomes, have achieved so little.  

The constant reorganisation of ministerial and NHS teams and a lack of regulator and press interest in delivery have played a part. But, James Norman, a former NHS trust CIO who now works on the supplier side, felt the biggest reason is that they have been run as projects separate to day to day working.  

“Any government that comes in this year will need to recognise that the first thing the NHS needs is to return to stability,” he said. “You can’t just talk about technology and expect it to deliver that. In fact, if you don’t do it right, you’re just going to add cost and complexity. It becomes another tick-box exercise, instead of a whole system change.”  

No avoiding the need for leadership – and money  

The advisory board felt that getting into fundamentals of system-change will require leadership from politicians, clinicians, and NHS managers. Which is hard to deliver when the political cycle is five-years and NHS leaders make their careers in the acute sector.  

However, if Labour is going to get serious about the NHS, it will have to get into it. And find the money. Ravi Kumar said: “If there is a message for politicians, it is that they can shift the current dynamic, but to do it, they need to find the money. Any government can find money, if it wants. They found it during Covid. They can find it for wars. It’s a choice.”  

Enterprises’ Lack of Strong Data Foundation Hinders Wide-Scale GenAI Adoption

Syniti and HFS Research report shares insights on how to increase data quality and reliability to help unleash full potential of GenAI

Syniti, a global leader in enterprise data management, today announced the results of a study developed with HFS Research to help organisations understand the value they can derive from their generative AI (GenAI) investments. The paper, titled “Don’t let your GenAI project fail before it begins,” provides four guidelines for how organisations can take a Data First approach to achieve better business outcomes, with input from real-world use cases.

While AI has been around for decades, generative AI solutions like ChatGPT have made this technology more accessible than ever before. ChatGPT has seen lightning-fast adoption, racking up 100 million monthly active users in its first two months, making it the fastest-growing consumer app ever. Since then, businesses have raced to adopt GenAI to glean its many advantages. However, organisations are quickly finding their data isn’t ready to reap the value due to lack of data quality and management. In fact, recent HFS research shows that one-third of executives believe less than half of their organisation’s data is actually consumable―highlighting just how many organisations aren’t ready for GenAI.

An improper data foundation can lead to real-world business consequences outside of just poor data quality outputs. If bias exists within the data fed into models, such as gender or racial bias, that bias can be quickly replicated at scale within an organisation. This could cause reputational damage, have regulatory implications, and concern investors. Syniti supports enterprises with a Data First approach, helping to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to break down silos and deliver trusted, usable data to fuel GenAI models.

Naveen Gupta, global data leader, IKEA, said: “The biggest challenge we’re facing in IKEA is having data management practices in place. We don’t have practices for data cleansing, strategy and governance. We need all of that to make sure GenAI is a success.”

Phil Fersht, CEO & chief analyst, HFS Research, said, “Data quality is the cornerstone of any successful AI initiative, particularly in the realm of generative AI. Our joint report with Syniti sheds light on a critical issue facing organisations today: the inadequacy of their data foundation. Without robust data management practices in place, the full potential of GenAI remains out of reach. It’s imperative for businesses to prioritise data quality and reliability to unlock the transformative power of AI.”

Kevin Campbell, CEO, Syniti, said: “GenAI’s potential can’t be overstated, but companies need to approach this technology with the wisdom and respect it deserves. Data quality is critical to all business transformation, including successful use of Generative AI, and it’s shocking how many organisations still don’t properly prepare their data ahead of these initiatives. Companies have a long way to go in terms of data quality and management, but a Data First approach will set organisations up for success.”

SHIMPAC® | Enhancing Roadworker Safety: Easy-to-Install Solutions for Long-Term Performance

Roadwork projects play a vital role in maintaining and improving our infrastructure. However, the safety of roadworkers is often compromised due to the inherent risks associated with working in close proximity to moving vehicles. However, this isn’t the only very real threat to operative safety.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the abuse faced by roadworkers from the public. To address these issues, it is crucial to implement easy-to-install solutions that not only enhance road safety but also reduce the exposure of roadworkers to potential harm.

Improved efficiency in these areas ultimately reduces frustration among drivers, decreasing the likelihood of abusive behaviours.

Reducing Exposure

There is only so much control contractors and authorities can assert over the public, and so focusing on overall level of exposure could be the real key. We hear about the danger of the people-plant interface on highways sites, but could it now be time to look at how we reduce the people-people interface?

The less time roadworkers spend on site, the less exposed they are to the public. It’s very simple; By implementing easy-to-install solutions with long-term performance capabilities, roadworker safety is inherently enhanced.

This decrease in exposure helps create a safer working environment and promotes better overall well-being for roadworkers.

The Importance of Easy-to-Install Solutions

When it comes to protecting roadworkers, time is of the essence. The installation process for products should be as quick and hassle-free as possible. Easy-to-install solutions significantly reduce the time spent on-site for operatives, minimising their exposure to the public. By streamlining the installation process, roadworkers can focus more on their primary tasks, ensuring efficiency while reducing the potential for accidents and abuse.

The Role of Performance and Usability

While quick installation is essential, it can’t be at the cost of an effective solution. It is important to consider the long-term performance of safety solutions from an asset life cycle perspective, protecting budgets with decreased repair costs.

Long-Term Performance

However, products that require frequent maintenance, repairs, or replacement can lead to increased exposure for roadworkers. At this point, the risk of abuse returns. The more frequently a solution fails, the more potential for operatives to face abuse during repairs.

Although not all products directly address roadworker abuse, their performance, efficiency, and usability can indirectly contribute positively. Opting for high-quality, durable solutions can help minimise these risks and provide sustained protection over an extended period.

Ironwork: The solution

SHIMPAC®’s Roadshims, a pioneering solution for ironwork seating, has been specifically developed with the factors of efficient installation, durability, and longevity in mind. Recognising the broader impact of these benefits on the safety and wellbeing of roadworkers, SHIMPAC® is dedicated to delivering enhanced protection against potential abuse throughout the UK.

SHIMPAC® understands that the significance of its products goes beyond its technical features. By providing roadworkers with reliable and robust solutions, SHIMPAC® products contribute to creating a safer working environment. When roadworkers can increase overall efficiency of roadwork projects, it leads to smoother traffic flow and reduced frustration among drivers. Consequently, this decreases the likelihood of abusive behaviours directed towards roadworkers, ensuring their wellbeing and fostering a more harmonious relationship between roadworkers and the public.

Quality & correct training means installations are quicker and cause less disruption, and in turn leads to right-first-time installations. This in turn leads to reduced need for more frequent repair. Reducing the people-people interface.

Please visit: www.shimpac.com

Canary Wharf Group closes £84m affordable housing deal with CBRE Investment Management

Canary Wharf Group (‘CWG’) raised £84m through a forward sale of 294 Affordable rent homes to the CBRE UK Affordable Housing Fund (‘AHF’), a fund sponsored by CBRE Investment Management.

Wood Wharf

The affordable homes are part of CWG’s Wood Wharf residential development due to be completed in 2027. The residential community at Canary Wharf, currently numbering 3,500 people, is set to double in size over the next few years as CWG completes Wood Wharf including a 1,308-home private build-to-rent (BTR) scheme and affordable housing in the local area.

The homes are to be acquired by AHF a specialist Affordable Housing Fund delivering affordable and sustainable housing across the United Kingdom. The Homes will be managed by Pinnacle Group in conjunction with CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM).

The 23 acre development at Wood Wharf is an important part of the ongoing evolution of Canary Wharf from a global financial hub into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood offering waterside living with easy access to green spaces, shopping, work and leisure including open water swimming, FairGame, electric go karting, and the premium padel club Padium as well as popular restaurants such as Dishoom, Hawksmoor, Mallow and Fish Game.

CWG’s owners, Brookfield and QIA, recently invested a further £400m to advance its pipeline of development.

John Mulqueen, CIO, CWG, said:

“We are delighted to work with CBRE IM to create high quality, affordable homes at Canary Wharf for the benefit of the local community. This agreement between CWG and CBRE IM demonstrates the appeal of the residential developments being constructed as part of the vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood CWG has created, with award-winning buildings, world-class amenities and exceptional transport links.”

Andrew Davey, Head of Liability Matching Solutions and Affordable Housing, CBRE IM, said:

“It’s been a pleasure working with CWG to deliver state of the art, truly affordable, housing in one of the most vibrant and exciting communities in London. The scheme will deliver on the fund’s objectives to make a positive social impact and achieve our investor’s financial goals.”

The Cabinet Secretary has appointed Cat Little as the new Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Secretary was pleased to announce last week the appointment of Cat Little as the new Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office. 

Cat Little

Cat, who is currently Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury and Head of the Government Finance Function, was appointed by the Cabinet Secretary with the approval of the Prime Minister following an open competition. Cat will take up the role on the 2nd April. 

Cat brings to the role a unique combination of experience from both within government and a decade spent in the private sector. As well as leading a Government function, Cat has been involved in policy and strategy making at the highest levels in major departments such as the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice and has also spent four years working in the centre of government in HM Treasury.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: 

“I am grateful to Sir Alex for his years of public service, particularly in the Cabinet Office where he has been a champion for reform. I am delighted to see Cat Little bring her extensive experience from both the private and public sectors to this role. I look forward to working with her as we forge a leaner, more modern Civil Service that will deliver this Government’s plan for the future of the United Kingdom.”

The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Simon Case said:

“I am delighted to appoint Cat to this role. Cat’s experience makes her uniquely positioned to lead the Cabinet Office through the next stage of its development, ensuring excellence in both the Cabinet Office’s historic role supporting the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet, and excellence in the delivery of cross-government functions. Cat will also continue to lead reform of the Civil Service, working hand-in-hand with senior leaders across the Civil Service to ensure we are equipped to provide the very best support to the government of the day. I wish Cat every success in her new role and look forward to working with her

“I would also like to thank Alex Chisholm for his dedication and service over the last four years, and for his many years of public service before joining the Cabinet Office. I am personally very grateful to Alex for his leadership of the department and his commitment to driving reform across government.” 

Government learning lessons about AI from GOV.UK Chat experiment

By Sascha Giese, Tech Evangelist, SolarWinds

The Government Digital Service (GDS) – part of the Cabinet Office responsible for digital transformation in the UK – is exploring how generative artificial intelligence (AI) could improve the user experience of the government’s website.

Public sector IT experts are using generative large language models (LLMs) – the same technology behind chatbots such as ChatGPT- to come up with a more intuitive way for people to interact with government departments and agencies.

Instead of searching for information – or scrolling through pages of documents – GOV.UK Chat, as it’s known, allows people to simply tap in a question and wait for an answer.

As you’d expect with an experiment on this scale, the results have been mixed.

Early analysis has found that while most people liked using GOV.UK Chat, there were a few teething problems. One of the issues highlighted centred on the accuracy of some of the replies.

As a blog published in January explains, some of the answers “did not reach the highest level of accuracy demanded for a site like GOV.UK, where factual accuracy is crucial.”

It went on: “We also observed a few cases of hallucination – where the system generated responses containing incorrect information presented as fact – mostly in response to users’ ambiguous or inappropriate queries.”

Our AI journey has only really just begun

For me, the findings – supported by another excellent article from the multidisciplinary team running the experiment – are fascinating and provide insights into a project like this.

As they explain: “Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence (AI). So, it’s clear the spotlight is on the opportunities and risks AI presents to governments – and what can be done collectively to use AI for good.”

This is good to hear. The rapid pace of development around AI shows no sign of easing. And I get the sense that many people are running just to keep up.

Take regulation, for example. Yes, AI is exciting, and developments are happening at a fast pace. In that regard, I’m pro-innovation – but not at all costs.

That’s why I’m also a huge advocate for regulating AI. Not at some indeterminable point in the future, but now. Why? Because from where I’m standing, I believe we’ve reached a level where if we don’t, things could get dangerous.

At some point, humanity needs to get a grip on AI in all its iterations to ensure the positive effects it could have are realised.

Regulation and greater knowledge are essential to make AI work

After all, ‘AI for good’ – as highlighted by the GDS team – could have plenty of positive outcomes. It could ease the burden on IT teams, for example, by automating routine tasks like password resets and network troubleshooting. Not only would this be timesaving, but it would also liberate employees to concentrate on high-value tasks.

AI used in this way is like having an extra set of hands, but ones that never tire or falter in their accuracy.

But, we must also accept that not all types of AI technology are equal.

When you train AI, for example, it’s like teaching a child – you’re giving it your view of the world. This is why we need people from different backgrounds to train and prepare AI to get a better understanding of our diversity across the world.

I’m sure those working on GOV.UK Chat are finding out about these issues – and many more besides – for themselves. It’s one of the reasons why their work on GOV.UK Chat is so important.

All the lessons learned will help expand our knowledge of how best to implement this technology. This will be particularly important if it’s to address some of the fearmongering around jobs and other issues.

After all, if we’re to make any headway, the general population needs to understand the benefits of AI, understand the privacy concerns, and understand what it means for their daily lives.

ICO orders Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology to monitor attendance of leisure centre employees

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered public service provider Serco Leisure, Serco Jersey and seven associated community leisure trusts to stop using facial recognition technology (FRT) and fingerprint scanning to monitor employee attendance.  

The ICO’s investigation found that Serco Leisure and the trusts have been unlawfully processing the biometric data of more than 2,000 employees at 38 leisure facilities for the purpose of attendance checks and subsequent payment for their time.  

They failed to show why it is necessary or proportionate to use FRT and fingerprint scanning for this purpose, when there are less intrusive means available such as ID cards or fobs. 

Employees have not been proactively offered an alternative to having their faces and fingers scanned to clock in and out of their place of work, and it has been presented as a requirement in order to get paid. Due to the imbalance of power between Serco Leisure and its employees, it is unlikely that they would feel able to say no to the collection and use of their biometric data for attendance checks. 

The ICO has now issued enforcement notices instructing Serco Leisure and the trusts to stop all processing of biometric data for monitoring employees’ attendance at work, as well as to destroy all biometric data that they are not legally obliged to retain. This must be done within three months of the enforcement notices being issued. 

John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner, said: “Biometric data is wholly unique to a person so the risks of harm in the event of inaccuracies or a security breach are much greater – you can’t reset someone’s face or fingerprint like you can reset a password.  

“Serco Leisure did not fully consider the risks before introducing biometric technology to monitor staff attendance, prioritising business interests over its employees’ privacy. There is no clear way for staff to opt out of the system, increasing the power imbalance in the workplace and putting people in a position where they feel like they have to hand over their biometric data to work there.   

“This is neither fair nor proportionate under data protection law, and, as the UK regulator, we will closely scrutinise organisations and act decisively if we believe biometric data is being used unlawfully.” 

This enforcement action comes as the ICO today publishes new guidance for all organisations that are considering using people’s biometric data. The guidance outlines how organisations can comply with data protection law when using biometric data to identify people. 

Mr Edwards added: “This action serves to put industry on notice that biometric technologies cannot be deployed lightly. We will intervene and demand accountability, and evidence that they are proportional to the problem organisations are seeking to solve.  

“Our latest guidance is clear that organisations must mitigate any potential risks that come with using biometric data, such as errors identifying people accurately and bias if a system detects some physical characteristics better than others.”    

A Serco Leisure spokesperson told GPSJ in a statement:

“We value the hard work of all our team members delivering services for our customers. 

“This technology was introduced at the leisure centres we manage nearly five years ago to make clocking-in and out easier and simpler for colleagues. We engaged with our team members in advance of its roll-out and its introduction was well-received by colleagues. The introduction also followed external legal advice which said use of the technology was permitted.

“Despite being aware of Serco Leisure’s use of this technology for some years, the ICO have only this week issued an enforcement notice and requested that we take action. We now understand this coincides with the publication of new guidance for organisations on processing of biometric data which we anticipate will provide greater clarity in this area”

“We take this matter seriously and confirm we will fully comply with the enforcement notice”

Last year, the ICO also published guidance on monitoring employees and called on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their employee’s rights to privacy before they implement any monitoring. 

WAN Trends 2024: The Need for AI and WAN Acceleration Remains in the Public Sector

By David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks

In 2023, generative AI became steadfastly part of the lexicon. The applications for the technology are potentially vast, but this was also overshadowed by concerns about the impact that artificial intelligence may have on society. Elon Musk, an investor in AI, was among the people calling for a halt in the technology to encourage a discussion about whether there is a need to place limitations on how it should be used and deployed in the near and long-term future.

David Trossell

The Verge revealed on 6th December 2023 that his company, xAI, “seeks to raise up to $1 billion in equity investments, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (as spotted by CoinDesk). The company has raised $134.7 million so far. Founded in April, xAI is Musk’s attempt at jumping on the AI hype train.”

Prior to starting up, xAI, Musk backed Open AI – the company behind ChatGPT – in which he reportedly committed £1bn before walking away from the company over disagreements relating to the speed of OpenAI’s advancements. In total, however, he invested around $50m. The disagreements included his concern about safe AI development, which it is said, he believed OpenAI wasn’t pursuing. Musk then left its board, and backed xAI, which is now a rival to OpenAI.

So, Musk’s thirst for artificial intelligence remains – despite his concerns and the power struggle with other OpenAI board members that contributed to his departure from the firm. You could be forgiven for asking why he contradicts itself. Yes, there is a need to consider the commercial and moral cases for how artificial intelligence and machine learning will impact society, but the technology is beneficial – including to businesses that wish to transport ever-growing amounts of encrypted data over thousands of miles. It can also be used, as xAI proclaims, to better understand the universe.

Public Sector AI

The Alan Turing Institute says artificial intelligence offers huge potential for the delivery of government and public sector services. It argues that AI can make them more responsive, more efficient and more personalised.

The projects it discusses on its website range from using artificial intelligence and machine learning to automated bureaucracy; estimating the potential of AI in government services by quantifying transaction dynamics and by estimating the potential of automation; conceptualising the use of AI in government with a novel typology; using the technology to generate actionable insights from satellite imagery, to understanding the use and impacts of preceptive, predictive and generative AI in the public sector by “surveying workers to understand their perceptions and experiences of AI systems…”

Lord Jonathan Evans also believes. His article by this title on .Gov adds:

“Chat GPT and other AI tools are starting to transform our interactions with a range of organisations, including in the public sector. The benefits and risks involved were highlighted in the media recently by educationalists concerned about the lack of advice for schools on handling developments in AI.

Back in 2020, pre-pandemic, the Committee produced a report and recommendations on how we ensure that high ethical standards can be upheld as technologically assisted decision making is adopted more widely across the public sector.

Honesty, integrity, objectivity, openness, leadership, selflessness and accountability were first outlined by Lord Nolan in 1995 as the standards expected of all those who act on the public’s behalf. They are the basis for codes and rules guiding conduct and decision making across the public sector. But what happens when decisions are made or assisted by a machine?

Our 2020 report argues that adherence to high public standards will help fully realise the potential benefits of AI in public service delivery. All seven Nolan principles are relevant and valid, as AI is increasingly used for public service delivery, but we found AI poses a challenge to three Principles in particular: openness, accountability and objectivity.”

The 2020 report highlighted the need for public sector organisations to improve the transparency around their use of AI and machine learning. The report’s authors – including Lord Evans – called on the government to “to establish a coherent regulatory and governance framework for AI in the public sector, and to produce practical guidance and enforceable regulation on transparency and data bias as a matter of urgency.” While no AI regulator was created, existing regulators were asked to step up to the challenges that AI and ML can present to ensure that they comply with the law.

Elevating capabilities

From an SD-WAN networking perspective, Mushroom Networks says: “Integrating AI into SD-WAN elevates its capabilities [too], enabling more intelligent routing decisions, enhanced performance and improved security. AI-driven SD-WAN solutions can analyse network traffic in real-time, predictively identifying potential issues and autonomously rerouting traffic to ensure optimal performance.”

Ayesha Mumtaz, writing for BNN Breaking, claims: ‘SD-WAN: The Game Changer in Networking and Security’, even though SD-WANs are exactly new.  However, she is right to suggest that they have become the preferred solution for many IT leaders who want to tackle the belligerence of latency, packet loss and poor bandwidth utilisation with a virtual WAN architecture that’s proclaimed to be service provider agnostic and highly secure in nature.

She adds: “SD-WAN is no longer an emerging trend; it has proven its worth and is reshaping the modern business landscape. Unlike traditional WAN, SD-WAN offers a network overlay, effectively separating network software services from the underlying WAN links. This innovative approach allows for cost-effective, adaptable and manageable networking options tailored to the demands of contemporary enterprises.”

Networking trends

As for networking trends in 2024, as revealed by Hewlett Packard Enterprises, she comments that SD-WANs highlight the dynamic nature of networking, and she claims there is a need for businesses to stay abreast of technological advancements to remain competitive and secure in today’s digital landscape.” She says the trends include: “the demise of standalone firewalls, the acceleration of zero trust principles, the critical nature of measuring end user experience and the skyrocketing adoption of 6GHz Wi-Fi. These developments will significantly impact the networking and security objectives of organisations, as well as user experience and application performance.”

There is also talk about intelligent WANs, the iWAN, a CISCO product that offers customers capabilities similar to MPLS VPN, such as quality of service (QoS), WAN optimisation and VPN tunnelling. However, Mindsight believes it’s not a new category of networking. It is essentially CISCO’s SD-WAN solution, and yet it’s thought that it won’t be like any other SD-WAN solution.

Sean Michael Kerner’s article for SDXCentral, published on 37th December 2023, ‘10 networking technology predictions for 2024’, predicts that AI will make networking much more intelligent in 2024. He cites Carolina Bessega, innovation lead – Office of the CTO, at Extreme Networks, whom he says forecasts that “AI-based networking tools will help predict, prevent and remediate issues that affect user experience, service availability and service quality.”

He comments that she also thinks machine learning will go beyond present-state network optimisations to “make the business of the network simpler and easier, faster and, as a result, better”, with large language models being paired with “other types of machine learning and networking big data to create new opportunities between vendors, customers and partners to co-innovate as they create solutions that transform the network into a strategic asset.”

Performant WANs are essential

Yet, the network isn’t just a strategic asset. Without a highly performing WAN, businesses are dead in the water. So, while SD-WANs and WAN Optimisation are good technologies, they often fall short of their promises. This is why, for example, most SD-WANs will still need a WAN Acceleration overlay in 2024.

Unlike anything on the networking market, and while we’ll see how Cisco’s iWANs fare, WAN Acceleration does mitigate the effects of latency and packet loss. In doing so, it accelerates the transfer of encrypted data and WAN performance over thousands of miles. It can also increase bandwidth utilisation – meaning that there may not be a need to buy new and larger pipes. Buying more bandwidth often doesn’t resolve the problem associated with bandwidth being underused.

This doesn’t mean that WAN Acceleration replaces SD-WANs. In 2024, like in previous years, this technology, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML, and data parallelisation, can be used as an overlay on top of SD-WANs to further improve their performance. Arguably, WAN Acceleration creates an ‘intelligent WAN’ because of its use of AI and ML.

Therefore, enterprises need it in 2024 as much as they did in recent years. To date, it is being used by organisations such as CVS Healthcare, the National Institutes of Health in the US, an F1 company and a household cyber-security firm, amongst  others, to ensure that their data is safe, that they can back up and restore data rapidly over large distances and with high volumes of data. This year – 2024 – should therefore be the year of WAN Acceleration, as its use of AI is beneficial to enterprises and society.

Schools, communities and homes across the capital to reap the benefits of superfast multi-gigabit digital network

Supercharging educational technology in schools . Free internet connection for disadvantaged families . Free 1Gbps connections for community-led initiatives

Schools, communities and homes across the capital are set to reap the benefits of a safe, highly resilient1, superfast2, multi-gigabit, digital network to be installed over the next five years by edtech charity LGfL–The National Grid for Learning and its partner, award-winning Internet Service Provider (ISP) Community Fibre. 

The unique partnership with Community Fibre enables LGfL to install a second, diversely routed fibre connection into schools delivering a level of unrivalled resilience which is now critical given the dependence of a modern curriculum on continuously available internet access.  Unplanned outages severely disrupt schools and lessons,” said John Jackson3, CEO, LGfL-The National Grid for Learning.

John Jackson, CEO, LGfL-The National Grid for Learning

“LGfL’s investment means that London will benefit from an advanced , fast and resilient education network that is amongst the best in Europe, if not the world. Building a network of this standard would not be possible without Community Fibre,” he said.

Roll out has already begun with the aim of providing back-up internet services to 500 sites this year.  Each school will be serviced with a 100% full fibre installation, which uses 70% less energy than traditional copper, making it a future-proof energy efficient and sustainable solution.

Graeme Oxby, Chief Executive Officer of Community Fibre, said, “We’re delighted that LGfL-The National Grid for Learning has appointed Community Fibre to provide London schools with fibre support. Stable and reliable connectivity is vital for teachers and school children across the capital, and we’re thrilled to roll out a 100% full fibre network to each location using the UK’s most reliable broadband technology.”

LGfL and Community Fibre will also work together on the broadband provider’s Community Investment Programme – to provide free 1Gbps full fibre connection for community-led initiatives and free digital skills training for Londoners. 580 free connections for community-led initiatives have already been installed.

“Digital inclusion and removing the barriers to education are top of our agenda at LGfL,” said John Jackson. “There are an estimated 2.2 million Londoners living in poverty – 25 per cent of its population4. Our intention is to work in partnership with Community Fibre to help identify children and families in need, and pair them with the broadband provider who will deliver free and safe connectivity into homes and community centres. Community Fibre has significant resources as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, and we are delighted to be working with them on this initiative.”

Commenting on the announcement, Theo Blackwell, London’s first Chief Digital Officer – who leads on London-wide digital transformation, data and smart city initiatives at City Hall – said, “This initiative will provide hundreds of London schools with full fibre connections, supporting teaching and learning. It goes hand in hand with our efforts to promote investment in gigabit connectivity to homes, businesses and public buildings – up from only four per cent in 2017 to 89 per cent today.  Better digital access is a priority for the Mayor and an important part of making a better London for everyone.” 

Further to the completion of the London-wide network, LGfL plans to secure strategic alliances with other telecoms providers and to roll out its multi-gigabit network across the nation. In rural areas without existing internet connectivity, LGfL will offer Starlink, the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.”

Schools keen to join LGfL’s network should visit lgfl.net/smartbuy/connectivity  or call 0208 408 4455, option 5.

1. Source: Community Fibre’s network has been running for over 99.9% of the time every month since March 2022. Data is measured monthly across all consumer connected homes on Community Fibre’s network.

2. Source: Fastest consumer broadband speeds independently verified by FDM on behalf of Community Fibre 30th November 2023. Community Fibre 3 Gbps Fibre Broadband package offers average download speeds of 3000 Mbps. All other providers listed offer the maximum download speed of 1,600 Mbps or less: Virgin Media, Openreach, Hyperoptic, G Network, 4th Utility, FibreNest, Hey Broadband, Gigaclear, OFNL, Pure Fibre & Switch Fibre.

3.John Jackson – 2022 ERA Outstanding Achievement Award winner, recognised for accelerating the adoption of new technology in schools and his dedication to saving them money, keeping children safe, tackling inequality, energising teaching and learning and promoting wellbeing.

4.The estimated number of Londoners living in poverty for 2019/20–2021/22 was 2.2 million, or 25 per cent of the population

Bridgeworks shortlisted for Computing DevOps Excellence Awards

WAN Acceleration company Bridgeworks, has been shortlisted in this year’s Computing DevOps Excellence Awards, which will be hosted on Thursday 14 March 2024 at The Montcalm, Marble Arch in London. IT industry magazine Computing writes that year-on-year, DevOps Excellence Awards showcase achievements from organisations, personalities and solutions that have successfully applied DevOps methodologies. The publication adds: “It’s an outstanding achievement to be shortlisted for Best AI/Automation Project, a very competitive category during the entry stage and to be shortlisted as a finalist is a phenomenal milestone for Bridgeworks.”

Tackling digital infrastructure deficits in South and East London

Over 150,000* premises in south and east London do not have access to high speed – Gigabit capable – internet connections.

Contrary to perception, hundreds of thousands of addresses in London are affected by slow digital connectivity, causing digital inequalities that impede the lives of people and businesses.

The ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ launched today by Local London and the South London Partnership, identifies gaps in 14 south and east London boroughs. It includes recommendations for driving up the quality and accessibility of services in them and will help channel investment to areas of economic opportunity.

With an estimated population of 3.8 million, Local London and South London Partnership are two of London’s four sub-regions, representing the interests of the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Croydon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton, Richmond-upon-Thames and Sutton.

There are over 103,000 premises in Local London and 53,000 in the South London Partnership sub-region unable to obtain a Gigabit capable broadband service with many sitting in a ‘not spot,’ unable to receive even a 30 Mbps service.

Mapping out the digitally poor postcodes, the strategy highlights best practices, learning and actions that the public and private sector can take together to build world-leading digital infrastructure for some of the fastest growing parts of London. 

Commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Coordination Service, the ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ is part of a wider pilot which will deliver an interactive mapping tool and an online digital toolkit that will assist borough officers to deliver digital infrastructure to their sites and leverage additional commercial digital infrastructure investment in the sub-regions.

The ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ provides a compelling argument for actively pursuing digital investment along with step-by-step guidance to public sector officers to attract investment and promote better quality and more accessible services, including:

  • Map and statistics illustrating clearly where poor digital infrastructure issues lie.
  • Recommendations for public sector resourcing and roles, industry engagement, procurement options and commercial models, and key components of a successful delivery strategy.
  • Case studies and examples from across the UK demonstrating successful ways of working and benefits gained.
  • The strategic, commercial, financial, management case and options analysis.

Theo Blackwell MBE, Chief Digital Officer, Greater London Authority said “Widely available, easily accessible digital connectivity is essential for people to reach public services and is key to helping cities grow through driving innovation and the creation of new businesses.

“Yet there are still parts of London that suffer from a lack of commercial investment in digital infrastructure, and this results in gaps in internet coverage or ‘not spots’.

“We must address these gaps and drive up the quality and accessibility of the services that are already available, to help the capital to be a fairer, more prosperous, and more equal London for everyone.”

Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE, Chairman of Local London and Leader of London Borough of Bexley said “We are delighted to launch the ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ with our colleagues at South London Partnership. This provides step-by-step guidance to public sector colleagues for unlocking inward investment and maximising existing infrastructure to benefit people and businesses in the area. Along with the database and digital toolkit, this pilot approach will help all 14 boroughs tackle the digital divide, whilst also creating a legacy of learning that have even wider benefits.”     

Cllr Gareth Roberts, Chair, South London Partnership and Leader of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council commented “This joint strategy demonstrates the benefits of a cross-boundary approach. Addressing the issues at a sub-regional level, with colleagues at Local London, this strategy provides clear guidance for unlocking rapid deployment of next generation wireless infrastructure and gigabit capable full fibre, to align us with other urban areas in the UK, whilst responding to the distinct social and economic needs of each borough.”  

Find out more: londondigitaltoolkit.org.uk 

*Figures based Ofcom Connected Nations research published December 2023.