Part of Shared connectivity at multi-occupancy sites

Shared occupancy benefits and drivers

Benefits

Benefits and drivers will differ by organisation, arrangement, and design. Before identifying and defining benefits the outcome and deliverables need to be full understood. Organisations for which sharing connectivity is the right decision are those who already know what outcomes they are trying to achieve, and shared connectivity may be an enabler to a broader goal.

You should consider:

does it support your estates plans, local or regional digital strategy, or roadmaps
how does it help you achieve your site or organisation KPIs
do you have a clear problem statement? How will you measure benefits and their impacts
do you need to support Wi-Fi roaming and ease of access for your own and visiting staff

For more on how to make the case for connectivity upgrades and examples of benefits that can be achieved see Making the business case for Wi-Fi infrastructure investment guidance.

Given the above, some of the potential benefits of sharing connectivity and services at sites with other tenants include:

Affordability

For remote or rural sites where fixed line connectivity provision is limited, and costs are higher, sharing connectivity may be the only affordable way to provide the connectivity and resilience required by the organisation. Whilst the cost of bandwidth is not linear, two organisations sharing a 1gbps connection is generally more cost effective than two separate 500mbps connections.

Resilience

Sharing wired connectivity provides greater opportunities for resilience as a result of cost savings, including putting in resilient lines or upgrading infrastructure that previously couldn’t be afforded. This increased resilience reduces the risk of downtime at sites, disruption of services and cancelled appointments from outages.

Efficiency

Sharing connectivity and providing multiple services from one site alongside partners, such as clinicians from other organisations working from your sites or joined up maternity care and family support services with a council partner, can create efficiencies, free up staff time and improve services by reducing number of separate appointments and travel time for staff and patients.

Reduce management overheads

One organisation acting as a host to share connectivity with partners can reduce the number of contracts with suppliers and amount of reporting required leading to reduced time and effort required to manage them, reducing burden on staff and freeing up time for other tasks.

Ways of working

Sharing connectivity encourages closer engagement and relationships with partner organisations via shared commercial and digital strategies. It can also support hybrid working for staff, allowing them to work across a broader range of sites by providing them access to the network and internet services they require. Providing staff from multiple organisations with the connectivity they need to work from a broader range of sites also promotes operational resilience and reduces the impact from issues at a single site.

Collaboration

Collaboration with other NHS and local organisations supports consistency of security and technical policies and requirements for workers and can reduce duplication of effort and cost in applying and managing these policies. Collaborating with partners from sites to offer joined up services can also improve the patient/visitor experience and quality of service provided.

Service

Organisations can benefit from higher priority for fixes and improved service support levels if they are part of a larger diverse shared service with a higher tier of SLA and service wrap from the supplier.

For further examples of how NHS organisations can benefit see our report on Kent PSN and Shared Connectivity (you will need a FutureNHS account to login) which outlines how one organisation has delivered shared connectivity and network management services to multiple public sector and NHS organisations, providing shared Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi roaming, LAN and WAN connectivity to reduce costs and provide a more efficient and joined up service for patients and staff.

Government and NHS policies and plans

A number of government and NHS policy and plans encourage public sector organisations to work together and co-locate to deliver greater collaboration and efficiencies, include (but are not limited to):

Kent public service network and the NHS

Shared connectivity use case: Family hubs

Kent Public Service Network (KPSN) is a not-for-profit division of Kent County Council, established in 2008. KPSN manage network services for public sector organisations, including 8 NHS trusts in the region, and their services include management of LAN, WAN and secure internet access.

How it works

The family hubs utilise a WAN that offers public sector organisations a segmented and secure network. This configuration ensures scalability to accommodate the growing needs of the public sector. Govroam Wi-Fi is accessible at all family hubs and serves as the primary connectivity method for NHS staff to securely access the internet and back-office services. This national service promotes collaboration and boosts efficiency. Staff can seamlessly connect and access their home network at any participating site.

Family hubs are designed to be a one-stop-shop for families, offering a variety of services that support early intervention and integrated working. They provide a single access point for families to receive help with parenting, mental health, infant feeding, and more. The hubs also facilitate collaboration among public services and voluntary sector partnerships, enhancing the overall support system for families. This integrated approach ensures that families receive timely and comprehensive support, ultimately leading to stronger and more resilient communities.

KCC are the host organisation for these hubs and provide shared connectivity and managed IT services for NHS staff at the sites.

This partnership between KCC and the NHS exemplifies how joint efforts can lead to significant improvements in service delivery and outcomes for families, with the benefits of collaboration and shared connectivity at the family hubs including:

Shared infrastructure and cost savings

The collaboration between KCC and the NHS involves sharing WAN connectivity, cabling, Wi-Fi, and office space. This results in no additional cost to the NHS trust.

Early support for families

The Family hub model aims to deliver access to a range of services for children and their families, including physical spaces, outreach, and digital services close to their homes. The integration of these services within Family Hubs not only improves access to essential support but also fosters a more cohesive and collaborative approach to community health and wellbeing.

Read the full report on Kent PSN for more use cases, lessons learned and examples of how to share connectivity infrastructure and services with partners. You will need a FutureNHS account to login.

Last edited: 14 October 2025 4:49 pm