The Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) covers almost 6000 miles of highly varied terrain and Getac's V110 convertible notebook offers ambulance crews the support they need from IT devices to treat patients effectively in such locations.
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/ Challenge / (Summary)
The Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) covers almost 6,000 miles of highly varied terrain across the North of England, from isolated moors to coastlines and city centres. In every location, effectively treating patients requires fast access to Electronic Patient Records (EPRs), so frontline staff need digital devices they can rely on, regardless of the area, weather conditions or environment.
/ Solution/ (Summary)
The Getac V110’s combination of compact design, extensive functionality and rugged credentials made it the ideal solution for YAS’s needs. Not only can the device go wherever ambulance crews need to, but it also operates flawlessly in difficult weather conditions and extreme temperatures. Inbuilt 4G connectivity also allows teams to collect and share critical information from remote locations.
/ Benefits/ (Summary)
With the V110 in place throughout YAS’s fleet of ambulances, front line ambulance crews can focus on patient care without worrying about their devices. The V110’s MIL-STD-810G, IP65 and MIL-STD461G certifications means it can withstand enhanced cleaning regimes, while Getac’s Bumper to Bumper Warranty minimises any unplanned downtime, keeping ambulances on the road where they belong.
/ Challenge /
Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) serves a population of over five million people throughout the North of England, answering 700,000 emergency calls and conducting more than one million patient transport journeys every year.
In order to treat patients quickly and effectively, its front-line workers need rapid access to Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) whilst on-scene at incidents, which means they require digital devices that can be relied on in even the most challenging environments. However, the nature of emergency response work, combined with the incredibly diverse terrain and weather conditions often encountered in Yorkshire, means conventional, consumer-grade devices simply aren’t up to the task.
“YAS covers almost 6,000 square miles across Yorkshire, ranging from isolated moors and dales to urban areas, coastline and inner cities,” says Martin Scott, ICT Service Delivery Manager, YAS. “Our devices must be able to go wherever we go, deliver the functionality we need, and offer exceptional reliability 24/7, to ensure our patients get the best level of care possible in every situation.”
For these reasons, YAS has used rugged technology throughout its fleet of ambulances for a number of years.
However, when its existing devices came to the end of their working life in 2019, rather than replace them like-for-like via the same vendor, YAS took the opportunity to see if there were other rugged solutions available that might better serve its needs.
/ Solution /
Working with stakeholders across the organisation, the YAS Procurement Team assessed devices from a range of leading rugged manufacturers, to better understand how different devices might offer different advantages in the field.
This assessment was then followed up by an organised Supplier Day where a selection of manufacturers, including Getac, were invited to demonstrate their devices to ICT, procurement, and frontline staff. Doing so gave them the opportunity to use and feel the equipment, ask questions, and get a true feel for how each of the devices would perform in real-life scenarios.
“At the end of the event, we asked everyone to score each device across a range of attributes, and Getac’s V110 fully rugged convertible notebook was the favoured device by a considerable margin,” notes Martin.
The V110 is a compact and lightweight convertible that seamlessly transforms from notebook to tablet computer, offering maximum usability in high pressure situations. Advanced 4G LTE connectivity and dedicated GPS also means ambulance crews can download vital EPRs and communicate with other teams quickly and easily, even when operating in remote locations.
Most importantly, the V110 is built to survive. Independently tested and certified to MIL-STD-810G, IP65 and MIL-STD461G standards, it offers exceptional protection against the elements, as well as accidental drops, shocks, vibration, and dust. As a result, it can be used while on-scene without fear of damage or failure.
Furthermore, its 11.6-inch LumiBond® 2.0 touchscreen means front line staff can view large amounts of critical information on-screen at once, in all conditions, and can even operate the device when wet or whilst wearing gloves, saving crucial time in the field.
/ Benefits /
YAS commenced the rollout of 500 V110 notebooks and accessories to its personnel in early 2020. The project was completed within a compressed timeframe of just five months so that the YAS frontline staff, (including paramedics), had the new devices in place as they rose to the challenge of caring for patients in the COVID-19 era.
The V110’s rugged certifications mean it is able to withstand enhanced cleaning regimes adopted by YAS to protect patients and frontline staff from infection throughout the pandemic, offering further peace of mind at such an unprecedented time.
Getac also provided YAS with a significant number of accessories, enabling the organisation to repair minor maintenance issues itself. Should bigger issues occur, Getac’s Bumper to Bumper Warranty means faulty or broken devices will be quickly repaired and returned, avoiding unplanned downtime, and keeping ambulances in service. In addition, YAS uses Absolute Software with its Getac devices to monitor endpoints on and off the network, investigate potential threats, and take action if a security incident occurs.
“Emergency services work can be challenging and unpredictable, particularly in the remote and difficult conditions found throughout much of Yorkshire,” concludes Martin. “Our frontline staff never know where the next call will take them, which means they need to be prepared for all eventualities. With the V110, we know they are.”
/ About YAS /
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) was formed on 1 July 2006 when the county’s three former services merged. YAS covers nearly 6,000 square miles of varied terrain, from isolated moors and dales to urban areas, coastline, and inner cities.
It serves a population of over five million people across Yorkshire and the Humber and strives to ensure that patients receive the right response to their care needs as quickly as possible, wherever they live.
YAS employs more than 5,800 staff, who together with over 1,100 volunteers, enable it to provide a vital 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, emergency, and healthcare service.
