Wi-Fi and communications provider Spark TSL is acquiring Dutch company Sentean Group and will bring its Fusion Bed platform for clinical and patient-facing applications to the UK healthcare market.
The acquisition means that TSL Spark can offer NHS trusts a unique platform to accelerate the adoption of innovation, as well as deliver quantifiable improvements in operational efficiency, education and patient engagement.
Hospitals will also be able to use the fast and scalable connectivity solution to advance their digital maturity.
For Sentean, this means it can access additional resources and WiFi capabilities from Spark TSL, allowing it to expand into the Dutch market, where it already works with around 40% of hospitals.
Matt O'Donovan, Managing Director of Spark TSL, said: “The Sentean Fusion Bed product comes with an incredible range of integrations that help deliver cutting-edge applications for clinicians and patients.
“It took years of development to create an extremely robust and scalable platform for digital transformation; from putting treatment plans into the hands of patients to revolutionizing meal ordering and nurse call systems.
“By combining Fusion Bed with our Spark Connect WiFi platform and Spark Media entertainment offering, we will create a true bedside, bring-your-own-device solution – and it will be a game-changer for UK healthcare and in the Nederlands. »
Since the acquisition of Hospedia in 2021, Spark TSL develops its new economic model, designed to accelerate hospital productivity. It focuses on moving away from the patient-pays model and encourages trusts to make communications and entertainment services free at the point of delivery.
The recent acquisition of Sentean will allow Spark TSL to continue these developments. It aims to create a digital platform that allows hospitals to quickly deploy a full suite of communications and entertainment services, as well as time-saving applications for staff.
Sentean Group Managing Director Willem-Jan te Riele said: “We have developed this fantastic and very scalable technology. But the Netherlands is a relatively small market, which takes time to expand into. While the United Kingdom is a little behind in terms of digital transition.
“With this acquisition we have the opportunity to grow by bringing Fusion to the UK, using the fantastic Spark TSL network, while also bringing some of the Spark TSL technology to the Netherlands. We have exciting times ahead of us.
O’Donovan added: “This is going to touch many aspects of a trust’s digital transformation. This positions us well to bring service transformation, efficiency improvements, cost savings and a new level of patient engagement to hospitals through this technology.