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Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth is one of the busiest acute hospitals on the south coast, delivering round-the-clock emergency care, surgery, and specialist treatment to a community that depends on it every day. For over 25 years, Equans, the facilities management provider responsible for keeping the hospital’s estate running, has trusted 2CL to supply and support the two-way radio communications that keep numerous teams connected across the site. Queen Alexandra Hospital is managed by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and serves a large population across Hampshire. The campus spans 1,400 beds and 27 operating theatres, alongside an on-site energy generation plant. Equans is the trusted provider of facilities management services across the site, and relies on a communications system capable of connecting every team responsible for keeping the hospital running safely and efficiently. |
AT A GLANCE Industry: Healthcare
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“2CL feels less like a supplier and more like an extension of our own team. They’re friendly and easy to work with, and that makes a real difference when you’re managing something as demanding as a hospital estate.”
— Stuart Burnham, Performance Manager, Equans
The Challenge
Queen Alexandra Hospital’s radio system was first installed in the early 2000s using an analogue system that served an older part of the estate. A redevelopment in 2006 saw the hospital move to a digital solution that started with five channels, 100 radios, and two base stations. Demand has grown steadily ever since, with every new building introducing an increasing risk of dead zones. The hydrotherapy pool area, for example, was a particular blackspot, and was an area where staff needed to reliably call for assistance if required.
In addition, given the critical nature of operations in the Emergency Department, this area required dedicated coverage of its own, separate from the wider estate system already in place.
The Solution
To ensure connectivity across the hospital estate, we recommended and installed a Motorola system that uses six SLR 5500 repeaters. Positioned across the site, the repeaters guarantee reliable coverage across the hospital’s footprint.
Over 200 Motorola MOTOTRBO radios, including R7 and DP4800/DP4800e portables alongside DM4600e fixed mobiles, connect maintenance, security, cleaning, fire response, and technical teams across five dedicated channels.
The R7’s Adaptive Dual Microphone Noise Suppression and Intelligent Audio keep messages clear in the busy hospital environment, and its housing is designed to withstand the disinfectants and decontamination routines used in a clinical setting.
Ongoing surveys to close coverage gap
As Queen Alexandra Hospital has expanded, we’ve conducted full radio surveys of each new building, and extended the network to close blackspots as they appear. When a survey identified a coverage gap at the hydrotherapy pool, we installed a dedicated down-tilt antenna to bring the area into full coverage, ensuring staff can call for help in an emergency at the poolside.
A dedicated system for the Emergency Department
In 2020, the confidence in working with 2CL and reliability of the wider estate system led directly to a second contract for the Emergency Department.
After considering the Emergency Department’s requirements and conducting a coverage survey, we recommended and installed two Hytera RD985S repeaters and equipped the team with Hytera HP685 and PD665 portables. Both types of radios are built to withstand the wipe-downs and knocks of a busy emergency department, while AI-based noise cancellation keeps voices clear over alarms, trolleys, and the general noise of a department that rarely has a quiet moment.
The rollout was seamless, with multiple coverage tests conducted before the new system went live to ensure coverage requirements were met.
Full oversight and ongoing support
TRBOnet Dispatcher software sits at the centre of the radio system to give the control room instant oversight of every channel and every team. It also gives Equans the ability to pull recordings of radio transmissions when needed, useful evidence in the event of a security incident, to confirm a task was completed, or to support investigations.
Combined with clear, reliable audio across the network, it gives the hospital’s security and facilities teams confidence that communications are not just working, but accountable.
Both radio systems are supported by an ongoing service contract with 2CL that covers maintenance, fault response, and technical support. Equans benefits from a direct line to the 2CL team that installed and understands the system, so that should an issue arise, it can be resolved quickly.
“Whatever comes up, 2CL responds quickly. It feels like they’re on standby for us at all times, and that level of support through the service contract has been consistent for years.”
— Stuart Burnham, Performance Manager, Equans
The Results
Complete radio coverage is provided across the Hospital’s estate, and as the site continues to expand, 2CL conducts survey work as needed to ensure new buildings do not disrupt the network.
With maintenance, cleaning, and estates teams connected instantly rather than relying on phones or physically tracking each other down, teams can be directed efficiently. In a hospital operating at full capacity, that can translate into saved minutes that can affect patient outcomes.
The Hytera system installed in the Emergency Department has performed reliably since 2020, giving clinical staff a communications network built specifically around their demands in working in emergency care.
For over 25 years, Equans has continued to rely on 2CL as its communications solutions supplier, through building expansions, system upgrades, and evolving operational demands with hands-on support.
“2CL has closed every coverage gap across the site. Wherever our teams are working, the technology is reliable.”
— Stuart Burnham, Performance Manager, Equans
Find Out More
For more information about how 2CL can support your hospital, healthcare facility, or multi-site estate with a tailored communication system, call us on 0800 389 2278 or send us a message.