Our Digital Infrastructure Team recently welcomed Malcolm Aiston, NTW Solutions Board Chair, for the first director visit since Digital Services transferred into the company. It was a great chance for Malcolm to meet the team and hear about their important work to maintain the digital systems we all rely on and the ongoing battle to protect it from cyber attacks.
The team began by giving Malcolm an overview of what digital infrastructure actually means and the challenges of operating in a mental health environment. They support the networks, servers, wireless equipment, firewalls and telephone systems that staff rely on every day. Unlike an acute hospital where everything is based on one or two large sites, the digital kit is spread across more than 70 locations meaning the team are literally stretched far and wide.
They explained how their work blends specialist skills with the need to be flexible. Although each person has their own area of expertise, the relatively small size of the team means everyone has to be a generalist to some degree. The variety means that no two days are the same, especially as they deal with unplanned urgent work.
Our digital systems are under constant threat from cyber attacks and Malcolm heard how Wannacry showed that successful attacks are a case of when they will happen and not if they will happen. Although the Trust wasn’t hit by Wannacry, the team spent long nights applying system patches fuelled by pizzas. The team work closely with the Cyber Operations Team at NHS England and cyber security continues to be a daily battle so the team remains constantly vigilant and proactive.
One way the team protect systems is that the network is actually made up of multiple “virtual” networks to improve stability and security. For example, phones may sit on one virtual network while laptops and PCs runs on another, giving vital separation and resilience. Keeping all systems operational takes a huge amount of work and as we rely more and more on digital systems we also need to be able to work without them, as worldwide events and cyber incidents demonstrate.
Malcolm heard about the close partnerships with teams such capital development where joint working is strong. Some of the infrastructure staff are currently working at St Nicholas Hospital as part of the major refurbishment programme. Their role is vital, as digital infrastructure must be built into the walls and ceilings from the very start – it would be much more disruptive to add it at the end of a development and would cause unnecessary costs and delays. That means working on projects like the new Sycamore Unit in Morpeth from day one is something the team find particularly rewarding, ensuring the design is right and future proofed.
Malcolm came away with a strong sense of the team’s commitment, expertise and pride in what they do. It was a valuable opportunity to shine a light on a team whose work is often hidden behind the scenes but is absolutely essential to the running of services.
