Live HD video conferencing broadcasts share NHS expertise across UK hospitals and cut costs for UK taxpayers

A recent series of live high definition video conferencing broadcasts have helped to share NHS expertise across UK hospitals and in so doing have cut costs for UK taxpayers.

Until recently, the speed and quality of the images was too slow and reliability was poor. Using the latest medical conferencing solutions from MultiSense Communications – www.multisense.co.uk – based on Polycom equipment – surgeons from different disciplines, including bladder cancer and transplant surgery, have been able to view images transmitted at high bandwidth and high frame rates, allowing a diagnosis to be made remotely and without compromise.

Dr Declan Murphy, a Consultant Urologist at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, explains: “We host a number of surgical conferences each year during which we broadcast live surgery procedures to delegates. These are usually located in the conference rooms of our postgraduate teaching centre or in nearby hotels. In the past we relied on ISDN lines, microwave links, or satellite links to achieve the high levels of quality needed to send the live surgery images. This involved the use of external contractors and proved very expensive.”

“Recently, MultiSense Communications installed one of their mobile high definition videoconferencing solutions in one of the urology theatres at Guy’s to allow a surgical procedure to be viewed in the Urology Centre seminar room. Using the hospital’s own LAN, a two-way high-definition audio and videolink was established allowing the audience in the seminar room to view a five hour procedure and to ask questions of the visiting professor performing the surgery. The link worked flawlessly and the audience were very impressed with the quality of the images.”

MultiSense Communications has been providing specialist Medical Conferencing solutions based on Polycom equipment to all sectors of the NHS in England and Wales for over twelve years. Andrew Graley, Director of Healthcare Solutions comments: “Telemedicine is making a major impact on the NHS in terms of cost savings, improving efficiency and spreading expertise across hospitals. At a recent European Bladder Cancer forum held in London, advanced surgery techniques from Guy’s Hospital were broadcast to over 150 top bladder cancer specialists based in a seminar room in London’s Hilton Hotel, Paddington at a cost over £20,000 to hire in satellite trucks and professional AV equipment.” A similar event using the MultiSense Communications solution was carried out at a fraction of this cost.

Recently, tele-mentoring – as it is known – has become an important aspect of the use of telemedicine in the NHS, as Dr Murphy explains: “Dr Nizam Mamode is a Consultant Transplant Surgeon at Guys. He has been mentoring a team at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Only two weeks ago he provided specialist training to Mr Jamie Barwell and his team, carrying out keyhole surgery for a healthy kidney transplant. Using the mobile unit, the team were able to watch this highly technical and challenging surgery live and ask questions. This saved time, travelling costs and above all helped the patient to recover more quickly, because of the benefits of keyhole surgery.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

MultiSense Communications has over thirteen years experience in all aspects of video-conferencing and is Polycom’s focused Specialist Healthcare Partner. MultiSense Communications is involved in many advanced and specialised healthcare applications which include cancer Multi Disciplinary Team meetings (MDTs), Telemedicine, A&E and MIU. In this 60th year of the NHS, such projects are helping clinicians provide enhanced patient care, reduce the need for travel and achieve the eighteen week target from GP referral. MultiSense Communications provide consultancy, product, training and operational support to clinicians throughout the UK. For additional information please call 01494 461949 or visit our website www.multisense.co.uk

About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM) is the global leader in telepresence, video, and voice solutions and a visionary in communications that empower people to connect and collaborate everywhere. Please visit www.polycom.com for more information.

For press enquiries contact the MultiSense Communications Press office:

Katie King
Mobile: 07525 727288
Email: katie {at} 2thefore(.)biz