Leading patient engagement and WiFi provider joins forces with multi-award-winning healthcare communication platform to bring safe, accessible communication to every patient bedside
Spark TSL and CardMedic today announced a formal partnership that will see CardMedic’s industry-leading translation and interpretation software integrated as the clinical communication solution within Spark TSL’s Spark Fusion patient engagement devices.
Spark TSL is the UK’s leading supplier of patient entertainment and WiFi infrastructure to the NHS. CardMedic is the leading proTvider of innovative healthcare patient-provider communication software, enabling safe, effective interactions between healthcare professionals and patients across all communication barriers – including language differences, cognitive disorders, sensory loss and learning difficulties.
The partnership brings CardMedic directly to patients at the bedside via Spark Fusion devices, removing the logistical barriers that can delay or prevent effective communication at one of healthcare’s most critical touchpoints. It reflects a shared commitment to embedding communication directly into clinical workflows, rather than treating it as a standalone service.
With the NHS under growing pressure to meet the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard and deliver on national health inequalities commitments including Core20PLUS5, the need for scalable, cost-effective communication solutions at the point of care has never been greater. The partnership between SparkTSL and CardMedic directly addresses that challenge – bringing inclusive communication support to the bedside across NHS settings.
Dr Rachael Grimaldi, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at CardMedic, commented: “Improving health equity for all is our passion. No patient should be left without a voice in their care. By embedding CardMedic across wards and directly at the bedside through our partnership with Spark TSL, we will be able to show what equitable care in action truly looks like – communication that is instant, safe and scalable for every patient, whatever the barrier”.
Jane Stephenson, CEO of Spark TSL, added: “We’ve always believed that technology should do more than entertain patients, it should actively improve their care. CardMedic brings a new level of clinical communication capability to the bedside, and we’re proud to integrate it on every Spark Fusion device. Together, we’re making inclusive communication the standard, not the exception.”
The partnership is already delivering results in practice. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust went live with CardMedic late last year, deploying the platform across 455 Spark Fusion bedside devices on 20 wards at Stepping Hill Hospital. The rollout gives the Trust’s 6,300-strong workforce instant access to communication support tools including a comprehensive, clinically validated communication platform supporting patients across language, cognitive and sensory barriers.
Pam Fearns, Chief Nursing Information Officer at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “CardMedic will enable patients to voice their needs where previously they may have struggled to communicate them. All conversations, such as asking whether someone wants a cup of tea, explaining a procedure, or offering reassurance, play a vital role in ensuring inclusivity. CardMedic enables equality across our services.”
The Trust has taken a trust-wide deployment approach to the rollout, making CardMedic available from day one across all inpatient areas, community settings, and specialist teams, from emergency and maternity units to Macmillan nurses and district nurses with the ambition of maximising reach and equity of access from the outset.
