Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has launched all-operator mobile connectivity across its site following the deployment of a new distributed antenna system (DAS) by connectivity infrastructure provider Freshwave.
The 4G DAS provides indoor coverage for users on EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree, enabling staff, patients and visitors to access reliable mobile connectivity throughout the hospital regardless of their network provider.
Thick walls and complex hospital layouts often block external mobile signals, leading to poor indoor coverage. This can leave staff relying on hospital Wi-Fi, which may become congested and affect the performance of digital tools.
John Wintour-Pittom, deputy chief information officer for the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative and director of ICT at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Seamless mobile signal is an essential foundation for a modern hospital wanting to provide the best possible patient-centred care.
“Digital tools like Alertive’s healthcare coordination app enable streamlined collaboration between teams caring for patients but need a resilient mobile connectivity layer so they can function at all times.
“Our fantastic IT team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, together with colleagues from Estates, have worked extremely hard on this project and we are pleased to see the system is now live and benefitting colleagues and patients.”
Freshwave said Freshwave said the system connects directly to mobile network operators, supporting clinical communications and digital applications.
The improved coverage will support technologies such as Alertive’s healthcare coordination platform, allowing clinicians to access messaging and collaboration tools without interruptions caused by poor signal.
Simon Frumkin, chief executive of Freshwave, said: “We’re delighted to have brought another NHS hospital all-operator mobile connectivity.
“By bringing mobile coverage indoors, we’re ensuring that staff can access critical digital tools without interruption, patients can stay connected with their families, and hospital operations run more smoothly.
“Projects like this demonstrate how tailored connectivity solutions can make a real difference in healthcare, supporting better experiences for everyone on site.”
The firm said research from its Healthcare Mobile Connectivity ROI Index found that improving indoor mobile connectivity across the NHS could unlock an estimated £3.74 billion in value, close to the £3.8bn healthcare leaders believe is currently lost because of poor connectivity.
The survey of 100 NHS and healthcare leaders found that boosting workforce productivity was the most frequently identified benefit of improved 4G and 5G coverage, cited by 62% of respondents.
Meanwhile, 65% said growing demand for remote patient monitoring and management is increasing the need for better indoor mobile connectivity.
Chelsea and Westminster is the latest NHS trust to deploy Freshwave’s DAS, following Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which introduced the technology at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in 2025.