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Hospital uses wireless LAN instead of cordless phones for medical staff

Guy's Hospital has solved its problems with mobile phones - which it needed - by going for a technology normally reserved for wireless data. All medical staff are now equipped with phones instead of pagers.

Wireless data is the secret technology behind a new phone system being installed in Guy's Hospital by Wireless- CNP using WiFi standards to avoid the radio interference problems caused by ordinary mobile phones.

The system provides what looks like ordinary cordless phones for hospital staff. But where most cordless phones these days use the DECT standard, Guy's Hospital has installed WiFi technology from Spectralink

The installers point out that WiFi systems on this scale aren't suitable for small groups, because they require a link to the office switchboard or PBX (private branch exchange).

But the system uses Internet protocols (IP) to carry the voice traffic, and could be a first step towards turning mobile phone systems into VoIP (voice over IP) networks, instead of GSM networks.

The big advantage, of course, is that voice and data go over the same LAN, making installation much easier. It is mostly a case of just adding a box to the network - a gateway to link data and voice boxes - and installing the wireless access points.

Not every WiFi device can function with the Spectralink Voice Priority (SVP) system - the system chosen uses Alvarion access points, linked to the Spectralink gateway and Spectralink phones. These network nodes use the Intersil Prism chip set (the main rival to the Lucent products).

Spectralink itself is little known in the UK; it dominates the US hotel business with in-room video, where it's a well recognised brand.

Guys Hospital says that before this system went in, staff had to waste time finding a phone when they were paged, often forcing them to leave whatever they were doing at the moment. Now they can take the call direct without leaving the bedside, even in the intensive care unit.

The WiFi devices use far less broadcast power than any mobile phone would do, and there is none of the buzzing interference which can affect old hospital electronic equipment.