SPARK TSL Appoints David Hawkins as its New Sales Director

SPARK TSLSPARK TSL has appointed David Hawkins as its new sales director, to support take-up of the SPARK Fusion infotainment solution by NHS trusts and health boards.

SPARK Fusion is a state-of-the-art platform that can be integrated with core IT systems using HL7 messaging to deliver efficiency-enhancing apps alongside communication, entertainment, and information services to staff and patients.

Hawkins, who joined SPARK TSL from one of its partners, said he is excited to be working for a company that is committed to helping its NHS customers to make better use of their existing infrastructure to address the productivity challenges they face.

"SPARK TSL is a different kind of company. It is a telecoms provider that has moved into software that can be used at the hospital bedside to deliver services that improve efficiency and outcomes," he said.

"The Darzi review has shown that the NHS is still in the foothills of digital transformation and there are enormous gains to be made by adopting the deeper-dive transformation that SPARK Fusion makes possible. I am looking forward to supporting SPARK Fusion customers as they go on that journey, for the benefit of their staff and patients."

SPARK TSL is a leading provider of wi-fi to retail outlets, transport and conference venues, but has developed a specialisation in healthcare since it started working with a large London trust in 2005.

In 2020, the company became part of the Volaris Group, which acquired legacy bedside unit provider Hospedia the following year. Since the acquisition, SPARK TSL has been encouraging trusts and health boards to move away from the unpopular and outdated patient-pays model for communication and entertainment.

In April, it acquired Sentean Group, a Dutch company with a unique digital platform that enables apps to be deployed at the bedside on managed or bring your own devices.

This should help trusts and health boards to make communication and entertainment “free at the point of delivery” by delivering quantifiable improvements in efficiency. Over the summer, the SPARK Fusion platform has been fully integrated into the SPARK TSL range.

The apps now available to trusts and health boards include a modern nurse call system that patients can use to indicate what they need before a nurse makes a trip to their bedside and a food ordering app to reduce waste by enabling patients to choose meals that suit them and their condition.

Trusts and health boards can also use the platform to enable patients to complete the Friends and Family Test and other feedback forms, and to ensure patients have proactive information about their condition to promote recovery and reduce readmission rates.

In the Netherlands, patients can also use the platform to control room temperature and lighting, and staff can set electronic door signs; features that align with NHS England’s vision for the 'digital hospital' of the future.

Matt O'Donovan, group leader of SPARK TSL, said: "David's appointment demonstrates our commitment to SPARK Fusion and to making sure as many trusts and health boards as possible can benefit from it.

"David understands technology and the benefits that it can bring to services, staff and patients, which is the focus of SPARK Fusion. The NHS is crying out for innovation that can work with its existing systems and infrastructure to deliver real and quantifiable improvements to productivity.

"SPARK Fusion absolutely fits the bill, and like David I look forward to seeing more and more trusts and health boards both adopting it and seeing the benefits."

SPARK TSL will be demonstrating SPARK Fusion at this year’s Healthcare Excellence Through Technology from stand F10 in the exhibition hall. This year's HETT runs from 24 to 25 September at ExCeL London.

About SPARK TSL

SPARK TSL is transforming the future of healthcare through innovative wi-fi and media solutions, cementing its position as the leading provider to the NHS. With a mission to revolutionise the way hospitals connect, SPARK TSL is committed to delivering technology that empowers both staff and patients.

The groundbreaking SPARK Fusion product is at the heart of this transformation. By introducing state-of-the-art touchscreen technology and a dynamic digital platform, SPARK Fusion enables hospitals to seamlessly integrate clinician- and patient-friendly apps, improving efficiency and patient care. This advancement not only enhances the patient experience with ‘free at the point of use’ entertainment and information, but also equips staff with powerful tools to streamline their work and improve outcomes.

Following the acquisition of Hospedia by its parent company, Volaris Group, in 2021, SPARK TSL has replaced outdated systems with cutting-edge solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the NHS. SPARK TSL's vision is clear: to foster innovation in healthcare, improve patient well-being, and support NHS staff by providing the digital infrastructure that drives the hospitals of tomorrow.

Most Popular Now

Researchers Find Telemedicine may Help R…

Low-value care - medical tests and procedures that provide little to no benefit to patients - contributes to excess medical spending and both direct and cascading harms to patients. A...

AI Revolutionizes Glaucoma Care

Imagine walking into a supermarket, train station, or shopping mall and having your eyes screened for glaucoma within seconds - no appointment needed. With the AI-based Glaucoma Screening (AI-GS) network...

AI may Help Clinicians Personalize Treat…

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by daily excessive worry lasting at least six months, have a high relapse rate even after receiving treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI)...

Accelerating NHS Digital Maturity: Paper…

Digitised clinical noting at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is creating efficiencies for busy doctors and nurses. The trust’s CCIO Dr Andrew Adair, deputy CCIO Dr John Greenaway, and...

AI can Open Up Beds in the ICU

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals frequently ran short of beds in intensive care units. But even earlier, ICUs faced challenges in keeping beds available. With an aging...

Mobile App Tracking Blood Pressure Helps…

The AHOMKA platform, an innovative mobile app for patient-to-provider communication that developed through a collaboration between the School of Engineering and leading medical institutions in Ghana, has yielded positive results...

Can AI Help Detect Cognitive Impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, so identifying those with cognitive issues early could lead to interventions and better outcomes. But diagnosing...

AI Model Predicting Two-Year Risk of Com…

AFib (short for atrial fibrillation), a common heart rhythm disorder in adults, can have disastrous consequences including life-threatening blood clots and stroke if left undetected or untreated. A new study...

Customized Smartphone App Shows Promise …

A growing body of research indicates that older adults in assisted living facilities can delay or even prevent cognitive decline through interventions that combine multiple activities, such as improving diet...

New Study Shows Promise for Gamified mHe…

A new study published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders highlights the potential of More Stamina, a gamified mobile health (mHealth) app designed to help people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)...

Patients' Affinity for AI Messages …

In a Duke Health-led survey, patients who were shown messages written either by artificial intelligence (AI) or human clinicians indicated a preference for responses drafted by AI over a human...

New Research Explores How AI can Build T…

In today’s economy, many workers have transitioned from manual labor toward knowledge work, a move driven primarily by technological advances, and workers in this domain face challenges around managing non-routine...