The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, serving over 331,000 people across West and North Norfolk, needed to improve its limited Wi-Fi coverage. The Trust commissioned GCL to deliver a hospital Wi-Fi upgrade as part of its wider hospital electrical solutions, enabling patients to stay connected with family, access educational resources, and support mobile medical administration by staff.
Aligned with NHS digital priorities, the Trust aimed to provide reliable, full-site connectivity while minimising disruption to patient care.
GCL was tasked with delivering a modern, future-proof Wi-Fi system as part of comprehensive hospital electrical solutions, that would:
Ensure seamless, secure Wi-Fi coverage across all wards and departments
Support real-time access to medical systems by staff
Be completed on time, within budget, and with minimal disruption
Comply fully with the Health & Safety Care Act
Operate safely around staff, visitors, and patients
Additionally, the solution had to accommodate complex infrastructure challenges, including live wards and historical building constraints.
Upgrading Wi-Fi and electrical infrastructure in an active hospital environment is complex. Despite this, GCL maintained focus on safety and scheduling by overcoming challenges such as:
Maintaining continuous access for staff and patients during works
Managing flexible scheduling around clinical teams
Working in ceiling spaces with potential asbestos exposure
Routing over 3000m of containment cabling discreetly through patient areas
Delivering materials within precise time slots to designated zones
GCL’s project managers carefully planned around shift patterns, ward activities, and health and safety considerations.
To start, GCL deployed mobile safety barriers to protect staff and patients. Galvanised cable baskets and trunking were installed at height, following strict ‘working at height’ procedures.
Specialist engineers worked in PPE within sealed ceiling voids, following asbestos precautions. Installation teams operated on rotating schedules to avoid disruption to live wards.
Clinical staff were involved in planning to ensure all work took place during pre-approved windows.
Thanks to GCL’s Wi-Fi upgrade and hospital electrical solutions, the hospital now enjoys:
Reliable, secure Wi-Fi across all areas
Improved access to medical records and cloud systems
Enhanced digital services for patients and visitors
Remote access for children on wards completing schoolwork
A scalable, future-proof network
Full compliance with NHS digital infrastructure goals
This installation also supports the NHS’s digital goals as outlined in the NHS Digital Inclusion Strategy, ensuring patients and clinical staff benefit from fast, secure access to the digital tools that power modern healthcare.
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