Birmingham Community Healthcare
From infrastructure discovery to a clear, actionable transformation roadmap
Location: Birmingham, UK
Client Type: healthcare
Benefits Realisation
Servers, Storage and Data Centres
Cyber Security Consulting
Unified Communications
Benchmarking
Project Overview
4C delivered a structured Infrastructure Discovery – combining on‑site audits, stakeholder workshops and documentation review to baseline the Trust’s digital estate across cyber security, data centres and equipment rooms, servers/storage, WAN/LAN/WLAN, unified communications and end‑user devices.
The engagement produced a consolidated ‘as‑is’ view with RAG‑rated risks, benchmarked maturity, and an actionable roadmap to improve resilience, simplify the estate and inform investment planning. BCHC subsequently asked 4C to support through an outcomes‑based procurement workstream.
“What stood out most was 4C’s collaborative style. They brought deep subject matter expertise alongside a highly collaborative and professional approach, working closely with our teams throughout the discovery. They took the time to understand our environment, challenges, and ways of working, and this is clearly reflected in the quality of the outputs. The engagement was well managed and non‑disruptive, and it has left us with a clear, shared understanding of our risks and priorities, together with a practical and robust plan for the future. Overall, 4C provided significant value and the experience was positive.”.
Shafiq Khalifa
Deputy Director of Digital Technology Services
Vision
- Establish a comprehensive “as‑is” baseline of digital infrastructure covering cyber security, data centres/MERs, servers and storage, WAN/LAN/WLAN, unified communications, and end‑user devices.
- Enable future‑proofing and scalability to accommodate digital transformation, clinical service demands and NHS cyber security requirements.
- Support informed investment planning by providing evidence‑based recommendations for technology refresh, consolidation and lifecycle management.
- Develop a prioritised, actionable roadmap for infrastructure improvement aligned to strategic objectives and budget constraints.
- Highlight critical gaps and vulnerabilities to inform immediate risk mitigation.
- Identify strengths, weaknesses and risks through RAG‑rated assessment and maturity benchmarking against NHS and industry standards.
- Lay the groundwork for WAN and network modernisation, including preparation for an outcomes‑based procurement process. To enable data-driven decision-making through enhanced analytics and reporting capabilities
Our Approach
4C took a structured, evidence-led approach to understand the Trust’s existing digital infrastructure, identify key risks and opportunities, and establish clear priorities for future investment. The project began with mobilisation and governance, agreeing the scope, objectives, responsibilities and oversight required to keep the discovery focused and on track. This was followed by a detailed review of existing architecture, contracts, assets and monitoring information, supported by targeted workshops with Digital/IT and service teams.
On-site audits and technical reviews were then carried out across the infrastructure estate, covering data centres and MERs, networks, security controls, backup and recovery, and end-user and mobile technologies. Findings were assessed against peer NHS organisations and industry practice, using RAG and gap analysis to identify risks, maturity levels and priority areas for improvement. The review also considered existing technology costs, internal resource requirements, and the energy and carbon impact of the estate.
These findings were translated into a practical, prioritised roadmap of short, medium and long-term actions, with clear dependencies and sequencing to support resilience, service improvement and future investment. The discovery also informed an outcomes-led WAN strategy and procurement documentation, helping to accelerate engagement with the market. Throughout the project, 4C worked collaboratively with BCHC teams to validate findings, refine priorities and transfer knowledge, providing a clear foundation for progressing the recommendations.
Outcomes and benefits
The work has given Birmingham Community Healthcare a clearer understanding of its digital infrastructure and a practical plan for improving its resilience, performance and sustainability.
Key Outcomes
- Greater clarity and control – a single view of the digital estate, key risks and areas requiring attention.
- Clear investment priorities – a structured roadmap identifies what needs to happen in the short, medium and long term, helping BCHC focus investment where it can deliver the greatest value.
- Improved resilience – immediate risks and opportunities to strengthen backup, recovery and service continuity have been identified.
- Stronger cyber security – recommendations provide a clearer path towards strengthening security and aligning with NHS guidance.
- Better value for money – improved understanding of costs and resources supports future business cases and more targeted investment.
- Reduced procurement risk – clearer requirements have helped prepare and accelerate WAN modernisation and supplier engagement.
- More sustainable technology choices – energy and carbon considerations have been incorporated into future infrastructure planning, supporting the Trust’s Green Plan and NHS Net Zero objectives.
- A clear route forward – BCHC now has an evidence-based roadmap to guide future infrastructure improvements and support wider digital transformation.