Powering Acute care collaboration with Cisco & Microsoft 365
NHS resources are up against an unprecedented demand. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has compounded the pressures already facing the service.
The shift to longer-term flexible workstyles, combined with the NHS’s goal of a joined-up integrated care system, adds even more complexity for those having to manage a more remote and distributed workforce.
Now more than ever before, collaboration technology is playing a key role in how Acute Care Trusts manage workflows, connect with each other, and deliver their services to patients. However, with over one million NHS users provisioned on Microsoft Teams as part of the N365 licensing agreement, lack of integration with existing communication assets can lead to existing investments being underutilised and a disjointed user experience.
In this blog post, we’ll examine the challenge facing Acute NHS Trusts and how a Next generation collaboration ecosystem can deliver vast benefits to users throughout the organisation, ultimately contributing to better patient care.
The challenge facing the NHS
It’s no secret that when a workforce faces immense pressure, staff retention is negatively impacted. This holds true in the NHS, where a 2019 report by The King’s Fund described staffing as the “make or break issue for the NHS in England”, and that urgent action was required to avoid a growing cycle of staff shortages and declining quality of patient care. [1]
Though a myriad of issues play their role in the high levels of staff turnover, it is widely acknowledged that flexible work practices can have a positive and lasting effect. NHS case studies demonstrated that promotion of flexible working amongst nurses allowed for a reduction in turnover to from 23% to 17%. [2]
Flexible working must be underpinned by solid systems and technology. Implementing a full collaboration ecosystem has huge benefits for Acute NHS Trusts and can help to tackle the operational issues that contribute to staff turnover. But what options are available?
Navigating the N365 licensing agreement
Announced in June 2020, the Microsoft N365 licensing agreement struck between NHSX, NHS Digital, and Microsoft allows for around 1.2 million users, across 450 organisations to access the Microsoft 365 Product Suite [3]. This landmark agreement has guaranteed huge cost savings for the NHS, whilst offering a pathway for the organisation to improve productivity, drive collaboration, and strengthen its cyber security, with the overall goal to create truly joined up services across England.
The commercial offer is comprised of two Office 365 plans that can be customised and used in tandem to suit organisational needs. Furthermore, Trusts, CCGs, and other NHS organisations can decide if services are hosted on a centralised NHS tenant or within their own.
A key element of the N365 agreement is the adoption of Microsoft Teams for collaboration throughout NHS organisations, including Acute Trusts. However, without integration into existing technology, in many cases, the deal has created separate islands of collaboration tools with poor functionality and under-utilised investment. As we’ve discussed, when implemented effectively, collaboration systems can have a huge impact on user experience and staff satisfaction – in turn leading to better patient care.
So, just how do Acute NHS Trusts create a full collaboration ecosystem that complements the adoption of Microsoft Teams?
Next generation Acute collaboration
Block’s next generation collaboration ecosystem enables Acute Trusts to combine both Cisco and Microsoft services to provide complete and integrated collaboration services. This hybrid ecosystem harnesses Cisco’s powerful collaboration tools, and optional in-room devices, seamlessly integrating them into productivity offerings of Microsoft 365.
Cisco Webex is the market leading application in video conferencing and collaboration with a host of features not available on Microsoft Teams. Users can make use of content sharing from any device, two-way whiteboarding, people insights, and face recognition, alongside many other system advantages. Cisco CUCM and Webex Calling can also be integrated with Microsoft Teams, allowing you to use existing Cisco calling infrastructure and phones without compromising on features or requiring any reconfiguration.
Bringing these two solutions together delivers a frictionless collaboration experience, giving users one less thing to worry about as they deliver acute care services. So, how does it work exactly?
How do you integrate Cisco Webex with Microsoft Teams?
Video integration
There are two integration methods that allow Cisco video systems to join Microsoft Team meetings: Cloud video gateway (CVI) and WebRTC web app.
Cloud video gateway (CVI)
Webex Rooms can join Microsoft Teams meetings via CVI cloud gateway. This integration method offers an in-depth and seamless meeting experience and doesn’t require any third-party interop. Users can join internal Microsoft Teams meetings with the option to invite external participants. This system offers a Cisco Webex visual experience, including multi-screen flexible layouts and bi-directional content share. The CVI method also offers support for any Cisco or SIP-capable video device, as well as registered devices on the cloud or on-premises, whilst incorporating an integrated attendee list for all Cisco video devices. In terms of joining meetings, this system offers ‘one button to push’ (OBTP) via the calendar service, alongside direct dial in, and interactive voice response (IVR) functions.
WebRTC app
Webex web-engine capable devices can join external Microsoft Teams meetings via this integration method, offering a fallback for non-CVI enabled meetings. However, in comparison to the CVI method, joining via the WebRTC app offers a more limited user experience. Visually, meetings are displayed using a single screen Microsoft Teams layout and only have the ability to receive shared content. Supported devices include Cisco Room Kits, Room Series, Boards and Desk Pro, however, they must be cloud registered or cloud aware. Users can join meetings via an OBTP calendar service within this method.
Voice integration
There are two integration methods that allow Cisco calling services to be accessed from Microsoft Teams: Cross Launch and Direct Routing. It is important to understand the differences between these two services and how it impacts the user experience, licensing, administration, and services such as call recording and presence.
Cross launch
This allows users to access their collaboration services through Microsoft Teams as a central application. It embeds Cisco softphone functionality through either Webex or Jabber. When making a call, Microsoft Teams will instruct the Cisco softphone to dial as required. This centralised voice solution offers a variety of benefits: ease of management, a single cost-effective licencing model, compliant device-based recording, and a simple user experience. What’s more, Cisco enterprise voice services offers support for open standard protocols such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and H.323, allowing integration with third-party services.
An important consideration to make is that the Microsoft Teams client is set up correctly for these integrations. This ensures users access the correct calling client and avoids any confusion with the Teams internal voice service still being active.
Direct routing
This integration method allows organisations to utilise Microsoft Teams voice services to make and receive calls, whilst leveraging their existing PSTN (public switched telephone network) services and offering integration with the Cisco voice services. The native call controls in Microsoft are enabled through licensing users that have a phone system license.
With the direct routing integration, the experience in Microsoft Teams and other applications on the desktop is streamlined. For example, voice calls will be made from Teams with no other application required to be installed (such as Webex or Jabber). This comes with its own considerations as to the management, licensing, and compliance services of the voice services.
Value delivered across Acute NHS Trusts
We’ve talked about the need for collaboration technology in Acute NHS Trusts, and how Block’s hybrid approach to Cisco and Microsoft services can create a hugely beneficial ecosystem. But what about the value for management, clinicians and IT Teams involved?
When it comes to management, this system offers a way to deliver a joined-up NHS through open collaboration between integrated care services. Flexible working underpinned by collaboration technology will help to reduce staff turnover and enable consistent organisational messaging. Removing islands of collaboration services combats duplication and minimises cost, whilst ensuring consistent care services regardless of time or location. The system also benefits from scalable and agile cloud services, whilst retaining resilience through on-premises fallback.
For clinicians, barriers will be removed, and a reliable collaboration system made available to empower critical services. The technology allows for specialists to host and participate in remote MDT services and collaborate on complex cases. What’s more, modern, evergreen technology can deliver enhanced clinical services and assist in delivering the best patient care.
Full collaboration empowers IT teams to deliver a resilient ecosystem with security for remote communications. The intuitive technology also alleviates user support requests and allows for the focus to shift to innovation. With teams immersed in future technology, job satisfaction can be greatly improved.
Get in touch
Want to learn more about Block’s next generation collaboration service and how we can support digital transformation in your Acute NHS Trust? One of our expert team can walk you through the technology in more detail – please get in touch.
[3] Microsoft Office 365 for the NHS, NHS Digital, June 2020
