More than 5,000 hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, schools and local government offices across Scotland, as far as the Highlands, are now said to be benefiting from improved, more resilient connectivity after the completion of an upgrade of the Scottish Wide Area Network (Swan) programme.
Delivered ahead of schedule, the upgrade, carried out by the business arm of telco BT, the deployment is said to represent significant progress in one of the UK’s largest public sector network transformation programmes, improving digital infrastructure for organisations that deliver vital services in communities across the country.
Swan has the stated aim of enabling “innovative transformation” of Scotland’s public sector through the delivery of secure, “world-class” connectivity and network services. That is, to provide a resilient platform for Scotland’s public sector, enabling new and improved ways of delivering services, including virtual healthcare, remote diagnostics and more modern contact centre operations and supporting technologies including voice, video, cloud connectivity and secure remote access.
The programme also supports the Scottish government’s wider digital ambitions by helping create a more consistent, future-ready approach to connectivity across the public sector.
The programme has been delivered through close collaboration between BT, Openreach and a range of delivery partners, highlighting the role of industry and public sector organisations working together to deliver national-scale transformation.
BT was appointed as a provider of public sector connectivity across Scotland under the Swan contract, awarded by NHS National Services Scotland (now Public Services Delivery Scotland) in 2023. The contract is worth up to £350m over six years and is designed to help futureproof public sector connectivity, including in some of the country’s most rural areas.
Since the contract began, the upgraded connectivity has been designed to support faster, more secure and more resilient public services, working with NHS Scotland, the Scottish government, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, local authorities and national agencies. In addition to transforming connectivity at more than 5,000 locations, the upgrade also supports better communication, data sharing and collaboration.
Sites benefiting from the upgrade include major hospitals, GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacies, schools, libraries, transport hubs and local government buildings. From Dumfries to the Shetland Islands, the programme is said to be helping provide the digital backbone needed to support essential services for citizens, staff and communities across Scotland.
Commenting on the deployment, BT said that over the past 12 months, with its partners, it has completed some of the most technically demanding stages of the programme, including major fibre builds and transitions across complex public sector environments. The work has often involved transitioning live critical and national services, requiring close coordination and specialist engineering expertise.
“This is an important milestone for BT and for the organisations that rely on Swan every day to deliver vital public services. From healthcare and emergency response to schools and local government, better connectivity helps teams share information more effectively, collaborate more easily and support people in communities across Scotland,” said Ishbell MacPhail, head of BT Business, Scotland.
“This programme stands out not only for its scale, but for the complexity of delivering major network upgrades while critical services continue to operate. By working closely with partners across the public sector, we are helping to build a secure and resilient platform that can support innovation and improved services long into the future.”
As the programme moves forward, Swan will continue to provide a platform for innovation, deeper collaboration across public services and improved digital experiences for people and communities throughout Scotland.
To that end, BT assured that it would continue to work closely with Public Services Delivery Scotland and Scotland’s public sector organisations throughout the remainder of the contract to enhance the Swan service, support evolving customer requirements and deliver ongoing improvements in network capability, resilience and security. It regards the contract as providing a platform for continued collaboration, helping public sector organisations across Scotland benefit from a modern, secure and future-ready digital infrastructure.
“Working collaboratively with Public Services Delivery Scotland and BT, organisations across the Swan community have completed the transition to enhanced network services that provide the resilience, performance and flexibility required to meet the evolving needs of modern public services,” said Steven Flockhart, director of digital and security, Public Services Delivery Scotland.
“Together, we are creating an advanced digital foundation that will support innovation, transformation and improved public services for years to come, ensuring that Swan remains the digital home of Scotland’s public sector.”
