60 Seconds with… The Royal London’s Covid 19 ICT triumvirate: Andries van der Watt, David O’Neill and Waqas Arif
In this 60 second interview we speak with the ICT team who were tasked with implementing the core ICT infrastructure to the new critical care unit at the Royal London Hospital.
Why the three of you, and what were your roles?
Andries explained, ‘Coordinating the implementation of core ICT infrastructure into one greenfield site normally takes 6-12 months to do. We had three sites to do in parallel, and for this to be done in four weeks we needed people who could really step up when it mattered. My role was to provide coordination and management oversight cover for our ICT Director while she was called on for the Nightingale build.
Waqas was responsible for managing the installation of the backend IT infrastructure, such as the comms rooms with all their switches, WiFi systems, cabling and power distribution units that make up the beating heart of any network.
David managed the implementation of the layer above that, which included all the computers, telephones, workstations-on-wheels (WOWs) and printers that our clinicians use when on the wards and looking after their patients.’
What were your roles before the expansion?
‘Before the expansion,’ said Waqas, ‘I was managing the ICT for the premises move from Prescot Street to Canary Wharf, alongside the St. Bartholomew’s Wifi upgrade project, so this was an immense challenge.’
However, for David, it wasn’t too different: ‘I was already working on implementing the ICT infrastructure for the Early Diagnostic Cancer Centre in Mile End Hospital,’ he said, ‘which is another greenfield site, so this held many similarities. Well, apart from the scale and the incredibly shortened timescales.’
For Andries, he said that, ‘Before Covid 19, I was responsible for various ICT Programmes aimed at service improvement, managed services and compliance. This was very much the same, but bigger, oh so much bigger.’
What was the biggest challenge?
All three agree that it was the coordinating of so many external contractors, including our own internal ICT teams, that was the biggest challenge. ‘At one point,’ said Waqas, ‘I was dealing with seven subcontractors, all needing guidance and direction. There was no time for endless meetings to discuss issues and problems, decisions had to be made quickly there and then, and the three of us, Andries, David and myself, we made them. The project was ahead of schedule, and we kept it that way.’
How are you feeling now it’s been completed?
‘Really proud,’ said Andries. ‘I am humbled by the amazing people we are privileged to work with – people who really stepped up when it mattered.’ David nods and adds, ‘I totally agree. I didn’t hear a single gripe or moan from anyone, and there were over 500 people at any one time working on the new wards. The teamwork, camaraderie, and sheer determination to get this done by everyone still puts a lump in my throat when I think of what we achieved.’ However, one thing is very clear, with Waqas finishing off by saying, ‘We are exhausted. There were many, many late nights and long weekends burnt getting us here. But we did it, and that is what counts.’
Tell us an interesting fact about the build:
- Approximately 48km of network cable installed (maybe more!),
- 3 comms rooms, each with 2 cabinets, core switches, fibre optic cables, UPS, Aircon and 11 switches (34 total),
- 60 wireless access points for WiFi,
- 2,200 double power sockets,
- 1,374 network ports,
- 86 WOWs,
- 92 computers,
- 88 phones,
- 36 DECT phones,
- 66 printers