The patient perspective: Reliably connecting urgent calls in hospitals

Disconnected care: The impact of poor mobile connectivity in NHS hospitals

A three-part series

Hospitals can be some of the most challenging environments to deliver assured 4G and 5G connectivity to. Thick walls, miles of ducting and complex layouts, combined with materials to keep people safe (such as lead shielding in x-ray suites), block outdoor mobile signal from coming indoors. But the right mobile hospital connectivity delivered with a dedicated multi-operator in-building system helps improve the experience of everyone in the building, whether that’s the clinicians, other members of the workforce, patients, or visitors.   

By Jamal Burns, Healthcare and NHS Lead at Freshwave

After exploring the impact of poor connectivity on frontline staff in the first blog of this series, we’ll now look at the how it affects the patient experience and their loved ones. 

Every year, millions of people walk through NHS hospital doors. For some, it’s for a routine procedure. For others, it’s during the most challenging days of their lives, and in the cases of newborn babies, a major life milestone. But whether it’s for a broken bone, a life-saving operation, or to welcome new life into the world, the patient experience comes down to more than just medical care. It’s the little moments, the systems, and the human touches along the way.

For those visiting with an urgent health problem, this often means moving around different areas of the hospital and waiting for different clinicians to see them. If a patient is trying to update a loved one waiting anxiously for news at home and can’t get mobile access due to overloaded Wi-Fi and no 4G/5G mobile connectivity (EE, Three, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone), this contributes to stress for the patient in an already uncertain time.

For those already admitted to hospital or in for long stays, mobile devices are not only a lifeline to the outside world but also a much-needed aid. When parents need to distract a wriggling child, or a teenager wants to keep up with their friends in the outside world while lying in a hospital bed, mobile devices are invaluable at keeping people occupied and in touch.

A doctor in your pocket – if you can get online

The 10 Year Health Plan for England positions the NHS App to become the central gateway into NHS services by 2028, essentially a “doctor in your pocket” that empowers patients with choice and control. And with more than 34 million registered users already, there’s a clear appetite for this technology from patients. 

And in another example of the movement from analogue to digital, the government also recently announced that it’s setting up an “online hospital” – NHS Online – which will not have a physical site, instead digitally connecting patients to expert clinicians anywhere in England. 

The NHS App will allow features such as appointment bookings, self-referrals, remote consultations, and access to a unified Single Patient Record. It embodies the plan’s broader digital agenda, supporting a shift from analogue to digital, reducing bureaucracy, and enabling proactive, patient-centred care. The NHS App aims to democratise healthcare, making it as easy to use as online banking or shopping, and ensuring everyone, regardless of background, has access. And with more and more in-house and third-party apps being developed and adopted, there’s a clear appetite for this technology from users.  

But patients in hospital wanting to check the app for their latest test results can only do so if they have the right hospital connectivity. Wi-Fi can become overburdened or fail completely, leaving people cut off.  And mobile solutions such as repeaters merely amplify the outdoor signal into a building and do not provide a guaranteed quality of service. In contrast, mobile systems such as small cells or a distributed antenna system connect securely to the mobile networks, providing a guaranteed and dedicated service indoors that is robust, reliable and expertly managed on an ongoing basis. 

With a dedicated mobile system providing connectivity from all the mobile network operators, patients can use their mobile devices however they want to, regardless of which network they’re on. Subsequently, it allows NHS Wi-Fi to perform better as it’s less congested. This smooths the path for people to use the NHS App as intended: a tool for better care, guided by patient needs.

Wayfinding without the worry in a connected hospital

Whether you’re finding your way in a new place or living with a condition that makes navigation more difficult, digital wayfinding apps can provide vital support. Projects like Dorothy, a collaboration between Care City and the Dorothy team, which uses a simple “digital yellow brick road” to guide people with dementia, show the potential for technology to boost independence. But these tools rely on strong connectivity to function – without it, even the most accessible designs fall short. 

With a strong indoor 4G or 5G signal, patients and visitors can use smartphone maps or hospital apps to navigate complex buildings, find the right department, or locate amenities without getting lost. The same connectivity supports real-time appointment updates, digital check-ins, and translation tools – helping people feel more confident and reducing stress during their visit. 

The right hospital connectivity also means contactless payments in hospital vending machines, cafés, and canteens work reliably, no more frustrating moments at the till or having to hunt for cash when the card reader won’t connect and all a patient wants is a snack. For hospitals, this means fewer missed appointments, less congestion at reception desks, and a smoother overall flow through the site. 

Compassion through connection in hospitals

In a modern NHS, compassionate care isn’t just about the clinical interaction, it’s also about removing unnecessary stress and barriers for patients. From the moment someone steps through a facility’s doors, reliable mobile connectivity can make every stage of their journey smoother: finding their way, staying in touch with loved ones, accessing the NHS App, or making a simple payment in the café. By ensuring people can connect when and where they need to, hospitals can combine the efficiency of digital innovation with the warmth and reassurance of truly patient-centred care.

The third and final part of our series on disconnected care will explore the broader operational and financial impact of poor connectivity.

Find out more about how Freshwave work with patients and clinicians.