NHS Digital Control Centre
Salford Royal Foundation Trust
The Challenge
Salford Royal Foundation Trust (SRFT) commissioned Hitachi Vantara to create a Digital Control Centre, a data-driven tool to transform hospital operations and improve patient care.
The goal was to centralise insights, improve efficiency, and give staff at every level, from directors to ward managers, to access actionable, real-time information.
The Solution
We partnered with Hitachi Vantara to deliver the front-end experience of the platform, focusing on usability, accessibility, and clarity. The Digital Control Centre was structured into three key products:
- Demand and Capacity – real-time data on admissions and bed availability.
- Discharge Insights – tools to streamline patient discharge and improve patient flow.
- Performance Insights – dashboards to monitor KPIs across hospital operations.
We also developed the global navigation, homepage, and system administration screens to provide a cohesive, accessible user experience across the platform.
Workshops & Wireframes
Our UX team ran video workshops with hospital staff and business analysts to ensure the design aligned with the needs of real users. These sessions informed the creation of wireframes across the four levels of the platform (Hospital, Division/Site Area, Specialty, and Ward).
UI & Accessibility
Additionally we created a bespoke design system with accessibility at its core. Every element, from colour palettes and iconography to typography, was designed to meet W3 WCAG standards, ensuring the platform was both legible and user-friendly. Particular care was taken to make screens effective across small desktops and large 50-inch ward displays.
The Outcome
The result was an intuitive, scalable front-end framework for the NHS Digital Control Centre, enabling SRFT to begin its 10-year digital transformation journey. Staff now have access to clear, actionable insights at every level of the hospital, improving decision-making, operational efficiency, and ultimately patient care.
