Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Siemens Healthineers announce 20-year Value Partnership

• 20-year Value Partnership signed between Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast and Siemens Healthineers to ensure access to the latest technology and drive improvement in healthcare outcomes across Belfast and surrounding areas.
• Holistic management of latest imaging and medical electronic equipment to streamline clinical workflows and enable rapid diagnosis and treatment for patients at the hospital.
• In addition to equipment management, the Value Partnership offers value-add services such as consulting and education to optimise efficiency and provide valuable staff training.

Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), part of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and Siemens Healthineers have announced a multi-million, 20-year partnership, set to streamline clinical workflows and boost patient care from October 2023. As its previous Managed Equipment Service came to an end, the Trust sought a partner for the future who could deliver on the provision, maintenance and replacement of over 650 assets from multiple vendors, including a range of smaller devices such as patient monitors and syringe pumps as well as select diagnostic and interventional radiology equipment. Workforce development and clinical services optimisation programmes will help to address workflow and resource constraints, transforming patient care across Belfast and surrounding areas.

With multi-vendor equipment choice built in, the partnership will ensure delivery of solutions which best fit the clinical needs and preferences of the hospital where more than 430,000 patients are treated annually[1]. Dedicated management of a full range of imaging and medical electronic equipment guarantees the latest technology, supporting local care across Belfast as well as regional services for patients across Northern Ireland, including specialist surgery, critical care and the Regional Trauma Centre. 

Support from Siemens Healthineers Consulting includes a Clinical Services Optimisation Programme (CSOP), designed to alleviate workforce challenges, expand capabilities and drive innovation. Through a collaborative and flexible approach, the programme will ensure the equipment and facility design are optimised to improve workflow efficiency and clinical outcomes. The CSOP will also support RVH in aligning with the strategic transformation of health and social care services taking place across Northern Ireland[2].

Additionally, the hospital will introduce a Workforce Development Programme (WDP) which will play a pivotal role in bolstering the healthcare workforce, thereby enhancing overall efficiency and patient care. Lasting the lifetime of the Value Partnership, the bespoke WPD will include a range of training, education and hands-on learning experiences from Siemens Healthineers covering both vendor-specific and vendor-neutral learnings. The WDP is set to support successful recruitment and retention whilst enhancing development and overall experience for RVH staff.

“Belfast Trust is delighted to enter into this new managed equipment service partnership with Siemens Healthineers, a worldwide provider of healthcare solutions with an established track record in high level technological services,” states Dr Cathy Jack, Chief Executive of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. “This investment, over a 20-year period, will ensure the Royal Victoria Hospital continues to provide the highest standard of care to our patients and service users and we will remain at the leading edge of technological advancements in imaging and medical equipment. We look forward to developing our partnership in the years ahead, with patient safety and experience the central focus.”

“Our partnership with Royal Victoria Hospital underscores our mutual commitment to providing quality care and making a positive impact on the lives of patients in Belfast and its local communities,” states Ghada Trotabas, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Great Britain & Ireland. “We will offer Royal Victoria Hospital access to some of the latest innovations in imaging and medical equipment, as well as enhanced technology and software. We look forward to working side by side on improving care delivery and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.”

Image credit: Siemens Healthineers

[1] Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Royal Victoria Hospital (2023). Available from: https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/hospitals/rvh/

[2] Department of Health. Health And Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together (2021). Available from: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/delivering-together-full-progress-report-december-2021