Martin House Children’s Hospice partnered with Central Networks to overcome significant technical debt that had built up over many years.
Through a complete infrastructure rebuild, Central delivered a modern IT environment that eliminated legacy issues and positioned the hospice to undertake a major digital transformation programme to support their vital work with children and families.
Client Background
Martin House Children’s Hospice, founded in 1987, provides specialist care and support to children and young people with life-limiting conditions, as well as their families, across Yorkshire.
Despite the critical nature of their services, Martin House’s IT infrastructure had seen minimal investment for many years. This legacy environment created increasing challenges for staff who rely on technology to coordinate care, communicate effectively, and manage sensitive information securely.
Bob Gibson, the organisation’s Head of IT, recognised the need for a complete transformation and engaged Central Networks to deliver it.
The Challenge
Severe technical debt: Years without significant IT investment left systems fragmented, outdated, and difficult to maintain.
Barrier to transformation: The existing infrastructure could not support the hospice’s plans to modernise operations and improve digital capabilities.
High operational risk: Limited backup and disaster recovery capabilities increased vulnerability to downtime and data loss.
Lack of managed support: The hospice’s small IT team required external expertise to handle complex projects and provide ongoing support.
The Solution
Central Networks designed and delivered a complete rebuild of the hospice’s IT environment, including:
- Installation of a brand-new network using Meraki SD-WAN over Zen Internet connectivity for secure, reliable performance.
- Migration to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, enabling scalable cloud infrastructure and modern collaboration tools.
- Deployment of a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solution, protecting critical data and ensuring continuity of care.
- Provision of first-to-third line managed support and proactive monitoring, allowing hospice staff to focus on delivering care rather than IT issues.
This transformation was delivered under a three-year initial contract, eradicating the hospice’s technical debt and creating a modern platform for growth and innovation.
The Result
- Technical debt eliminated: Transitioned from outdated systems to a fully modernised IT estate.
- Foundation for digital transformation: Enabled phased rollout of modern systems and processes across departments.
- Greater resilience and continuity: Data backup and disaster recovery safeguards ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
- Trusted partnership: Central Networks now serves as an extension of the hospice’s IT function, providing expertise and ongoing service desk support.
Next Steps
Building on this success, Martin House is now working with Central Networks to implement enhanced cybersecurity through Central Cyber Secure, ensuring robust protection as its digital transformation progresses.
“Central partnered with us to deliver a comprehensive infrastructure refresh, resulting in a cutting-edge, streamlined, and resilient IT environment. Their guidance throughout the project was marked by professionalism, deep technical expertise, and strict adherence to budget.”
– Bob Gibson, Head of IT, Martin House
