Requirement

The data network in a hospice will need to support the following: 

• Desks on reception and in offices
• Wi-Fi
• Smart TVs in Bedrooms
• Meeting rooms
• CCTV cameras and access controls
• Nurse call (if wired type)

Depending on the size of the building this adds up to 150 to 200 data points.  These can all be 1 Gbps Ethernet connections and most will need to have Power over Ethernet (PoE) to power the Wi-Fi points and cameras.

Options

It is possible to put all these devices on a single network and use Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) technology to segregate the traffic.  However, it may be better to have two separate networks:

• One for public Wi-Fi and patient Wi-Fi & Smart TVs in the Bedrooms
• Another for more secure uses including offices, administration, patient and financial records, access control and cameras

Each of these networks could have its own separate Internet connection so that patients or visitors downloading films or TV programs do not impact the administrative network.

Data cabling

The data points will need to be cabled up to a central cabinet of network equipment in a hub room or wiring closet.  For 1 Gbps Ethernet connections the recommended cable is CAT-6A copper cable with a fire rating suitable for use in a hospital.  The maximum cable length is 90m, so in a larger hospice building there may need to be more than one hub room or wiring closet.  If there is more than one hub room or wiring closet they will need to be connected to each other at 10 Gbps using optical fibre.  OM4 optical fibre will be suitable for up to 500m between hub rooms at 10 Gbps.

Routers and firewalls

Similar to your Internet connection at home the hospice network or networks will need a firewall and a router.  The public Wi-Fi  / patient network will be mainly used for download so a 1 Gbps download / 100 Mbps upload service will be acceptable.  The administrative network will need a higher upload speed to support video conferencing and so a professional  500 Mbps download / 500 Mbps upload service would be more suitable.  If the hospice is using “cloud-based” administrative software a back-up Internet connection for the administrative network is essential to ensure continuity of patient care.

Health and Social Care Network

Hospices require a connection to the NHS but can no longer use the legacy N3 connection because it was replaced by the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) in August 2020. To get connected, hospices must sign a HSCN Connection Agreement, identify a supplier (either a Consumer Network Service Provider (CN-SP) or a Cloud Service Provider (CSP)), and have their chosen supplier provide the connectivity.

 

TYPICAL HOSPICE DATA NETWORK