Redcentric plc, a managed service provider across the private and public sector, is proud to announce the successful delivery of the new NHS Peering Exchange Service. Despite the NHS crisis continuing to make headlines, the partnership demonstrates investment into a critical, central infrastructure component of the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN).
The Peering Exchange Service forms a key supply chain component within its IT infrastructure by facilitating an independent network interconnection between the HSCN. This allows service providers and healthcare professionals to gain access to a variety of healthcare systems and data which is shared securely across HSCN.
Access to HSCN is provided by a group of 20 telecommunications organisations known as HSCN Consumer Network Service Providers (CNSPs). The CNSPs provide secure access to HSCN for over 25,000 healthcare customers. These organisations rely on the Peering Exchange to provide a vital interconnection to HSCN, allowing NHS customers using different HSCN suppliers to communicate. The project was built over 12 months, tested and a brand-new platform was implemented which ensured the seamless migration of all 20 CNSPs.
Patrick Clark, Director of Infrastructure at NHS Digital said, “I’m delighted to confirm the successful implementation of the replacement HSCN Peering Exchange Service, which has occurred without impacting service to HSCN users. Well done to the Redcentric and NHS Digital teams and thank you to the HSCN Consumer Network Service Providers that have contributed to the success of the project.”
Redcentric was originally awarded the contract to deliver the Peering Exchange Service in 2017, and was successful in bidding for provision of the replacement service in 2021, which followed a competitive procurement process at the end of the original contract term.
Cem Ahmet, COO at Redcentric said, “We’ve been working with NHS Digital for over 10 years now and we were delighted to have been awarded the contract to provide the new platform for the Peering Exchange. It is an important piece of national infrastructure, and we value the trust placed in us to deliver it, so it’s with great pride that we can now announce that it’s been successfully completed.
“We enjoy a close working relationship with the team at NHS Digital and the delivery of this project demonstrates that we are a trusted partner and a ‘safe pair of hands’ with the experience, knowledge and people to safely deliver projects like the Peering Exchange for the NHS.”
Redcentric has unrivalled experience within the UK health and social care IT environments and is proud to support a broad spectrum of customers within this sector. Recent projects also include the company’s work with 4ways, a leading UK-based tele-diagnostics provider serving over 90 NHS Trusts, who sought a partner who could understand that resilience is critical as patient lives depend on effective service delivery.