Solution Benefits

  • Reduced Expenditure
  • Increased Security
  • Improved Efficiency

Customer Profile

  • Healthcare
  • Working on behalf of 35 GP practices
  • Trafford, Greater Manchester

About NHS Trafford CCG

NHS Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is responsible for buying healthcare services for the people of Trafford, based on the needs of the local population, secure services that meet those needs, and the quality of care provided.

It is one of the many regional NHS organisations responsible for commissioning local healthcare services.

There are 211 CCGs nationally and each of the 8000+ GP practices in England are part of a regional CCG.

Challenges

An office move presented an opportunity for NHS Trafford CCG to review the effectiveness of its print environment. The CCG was keen to improve operational efficiency and reduce expenditure by replacing desktop printers with more versatile and cost- effective multifunctional systems.

The Administration Manager at NHS Trafford CCG, described the existing infrastructure:

“We had printers dotted around the office. There were several different models and we needed cupboards stacked full of expensive printer consumables just to keep them running. Some of the printers were old and prone to overheating and, when we moved them, they left marks on the walls.”

”The new print environment is cleaner, simpler and more sustainable. The Sharp MFPs are robust, reliable and energy efficient, and duplex printing has reduced paper consumption. The secure-print application enables us to track usage and recharge costs to other organisations that use our equipment. Overall the solution is productive, it has enhanced security, and halved our print expenditure.

Administration Manager, NHS Trafford CCG
The result

How we helped

We developed a secure-release print solution which helped NHS Trafford CCG improve operational efficiency and reduce print expenditure. The solution supports the CCG’s print environment, replenishing toner and providing on-site service. This has been endorsed by Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit and provides a template that other CCGs are encouraged to adopt.

We also provided consultative advice to the NHS Trafford CCG in advance of its office move. Having audited the CCG’s existing print infrastructure and understood its organisational requirements, we developed an optimised solution for that significantly improved operational efficiency, simplified administration and reduced expenditure.

The solution is based upon the secure-release of print in a shared multifunctional print environment. Rather than print to a local printer, NHS Trafford CCG’s employees print to a secure server where work is held until the originator authenticates at one of the shared multifunctional printers (MFPs). Three high-capacity Sharp MFPs replaced more than 30 legacy printers.

The card-based secure-release system simplifies administration and safeguards document security. As employees are required to swipe their NHS ID card at the MFP control panel before they release print or scan a document, it restricts usage to authorised users and provides an audit trail. With documents being collected immediately upon release, no confidential information is left at the printer.

The Sharp MFPs provide the means to print and copy in both colour and black-and-white, and to scan and share documents electronically. Capable of printing in colour at speed and able to automatically staple document sets ready for distribution, the Sharp MFPs have dramatically improved office productivity and, with their simple one-touch scan to email facility, have also improved the information flow.

Using Sharp’s One-Stop utility, its service operation is able to monitor the performance of NHS Trafford CCG’s print environment in real time, replenishing toner and providing on-site service when required. We also work closely with Greater Manchester CSU’s Networks Team to ensure network connectivity and maintain continuity of service.

The intelligently shared print solution has cut NHS Trafford CCG’s print expenditure by 50%. The Sharp MFPs have significantly lower running costs than the printers that they replaced and a transparent pay-per-page service contract covers all consumables, parts and support. There has also been a reduction in waste as users only release documents that are required.