SPARK TSL and Sentean are Modernising Hospital Bedside Technology

The Initial introduction of Sentean and SPARK TSL

The Managing Director of Sentean, Willem-Jan and SPARK TSL’s CEO Matt O'Donovan, met back in 2022 and quickly realised that both companies come from a similar background. Patientline, the company responsible for implementing the initial Bedside Units that were later acquired by Hospedia in the UK, also had roots in the Netherlands.

Who are Sentean Group?

Sentean was founded in 2013 and started as a competitor to Patientline, the hospital patient entertainment system that’s known for charging patients to watch TV. Sentean started development to move away from the old Patientline technology in 2017. Several other Dutch technology companies were emerging with the aim to overthrow Patientline from the Netherlands.

In response to this, Sentean joined forces with their biggest competitor at the time, CareServant. Following their merger, the two companies’ combined their strengths and innovative product features, leading to a remarkable transformation in the Netherlands. Together, they have successfully transitioned from the traditional Legacy Bedside Units to their ground-breaking new offering known as Fusion.

Sentean's Fusion platform runs primarily on iOS, with an Apple partnership to deploy the system. They leverage existing infrastructure from Patientline, mounting iPads that run Fusion next to patient beds. While Fusion also supports Android and other platforms, the iOS integration is where Sentean has focused their full transition from traditional TV systems to bedside iPads.

What’s so great about Fusion bedside iPads?

Fusion is more than just a hospital entertainment system. Part of the process of moving away from Patientline was making engagement resources available to patients at the bedside, as well as providing free to use entertainment. By incorporating HL7 integration, Fusion seamlessly works with existing healthcare systems, granting access to vital data and paving the way for a plethora of innovative bedside applications. This clinical integration not only streamlines operations for the NHS but also empowers healthcare providers to access crucial information right at patients' bedsides.

This cutting-edge technology allows hospitals to rapidly deploy a comprehensive suite of communication, entertainment and clinical apps all from a single, intuitive interface. Imagine putting treatment plans, meal ordering and advanced nurse-call systems right at patients' fingertips - that's the power of Fusion Bedside. (Fusion Bedside will be known as SPARK Fusion® in the UK.)

Use our ROI calculator to find out how much your Trust could save by digitalising services such as meal ordering.

A match made in tech heaven

So what made SPARK TSL and Sentean decide to join forces?

"The two companies come from very similar backgrounds in terms of transitioning from old to new technology. Sentean has developed this fantastic and scalable platform, while SPARK TSL brings its expertise in WiFi and entertainment solutions. Together, we can turbocharge the digital transformation of healthcare on both sides of the North Sea." 

Matt O’Donovan, CEO, SPARK TSL.

It didn’t take long for Matt to further build a relationship with Willem-Jan and approach our parent company, Volaris, to acquire Sentean. With their strong partnership with Apple, innovative Fusion Bedside Platform and proven track record of modernising outdated technology, Sentean is leading the way towards a new era in hospital bedside services. It's time to bid farewell to Hospedia and embrace the future of patient engagement and care.

Hear more from Matt and Willem-Jan in their interview with Highland Marketing, and learn more about the acquisition.

Say goodbye to patient-paid hospital TV with Fusion, the game-changer for digital transformation in the NHS

With Sentean's platform already proven in the Netherlands, we’re confident that SPARK TSL can rapidly deploy the same technology in the UK. In fact, we’re already working with early adopter hospitals that are excited about the benefits Fusion can bring. Think increased efficiency, cost savings and a whole new level of patient engagement. With the support of Apple and Sentean, SPARK TSL will be able to roll out the new Bedside Solution very rapidly this year.

The beauty of the SPARK Fusion® is that it’s highly scalable. It can be deployed from a single ward up a thousand bed hospital. With the right hardware and infrastructure already in place (which over 100 hospitals in the UK already have with existing Hospedia Bedside Units and SPARK TSL WiFi connectivity) we can easily deploy 300 iPads with the Fusion platform in a couple of days.

This change will only happen at the pace the NHS desires. However, it is likely to follow the same trend as free patient WiFi. As soon as SPARK TSL started this offering, the early adopters the free patient WiFi set the scene for the other Trusts which quickly got on board and started reaping the same benefits.

This is going to be a game-changer for the NHS and be a part of the digital transformation that the NHS are striving for. It will help tackle some of the issues that have been a burden on the National Health System for quite some time.

The future of healthcare

This acquisition positions SPARK TSL as a true powerhouse in the digital transformation of healthcare. By combining WiFi, entertainment and now clinical communication solutions, we’re creating a one-stop-shop for hospitals to modernise their services. Outdated hospital patient entertainment systems like Hospedia will be slowly pushed out by SPARK Fusion®.

Get ready for a future where patients are empowered, clinicians are supported and every hospital bed is a gateway to a whole new world of digital healthcare. The revolution starts here.