Business & Technology
Healthcare trusts keep voice central despite digital shift
Organisations still treat voice as the highest-risk part of workplace communications, and that caution is most visible in healthcare and other public-facing services, according to Gamma Communications.
Voice remains central even as organisations add web chat, bots and collaboration software. Executives at Gamma and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals said the phone still carries the most weight when users need a direct answer, particularly in sensitive situations.
“What we found is that voice is never truly replaced. It is still the most common communication channel across industries. It is particularly useful for those we would probably class as the most vulnerable in society. From that angle, and especially from a healthcare perspective, it is a non-negotiable part of communication strategies when speaking to end users and customers. But because it is so critical, there is a perceived risk around changing the thing that props up everything else. A lot of digital interactions fail back to, ‘We’re terribly sorry, we can’t resolve this issue on web chat. Please call us.’ Well, that is the backup. So if we make any change to that, especially now that it is part of collaboration tools rather than a standalone platform, there are nerves and risks around what we do with it,” said Jack Carr, Teams Leader – Solutions Consultant, Gamma Communications.
That view is echoed in the NHS. At Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, patients and relatives often turn to the telephone first, even where other digital channels are available.
“For an ageing population, there is a real reliance on the telephone. Even now, with all the technology in the world and all the collaboration stacks, if trusts have web chat, live chat or chatbots, people will still default to the telephone. When you are contacting a healthcare organisation, you are often in a vulnerable position. You want to know what is going on with your care or the care of a loved one, or you are waiting for an appointment. You want an interaction with a person. There is nuance in a call that might not be picked up by other technologies. There is such a reliance on the telephone. Historically, it has always worked. Even if you did get through to a department and the booking system was not working, they could at least take your call and let you know. It has always had that importance,” said Tom Boyle, Head of Telecoms, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
Rebuild cycle
That dependence makes change difficult. Organisations delay telephony rebuilds for as long as possible because the work is disruptive and often depends on legacy knowledge that may no longer exist inside the business, Carr said.
Technology changes faster than the operating problems around it, he added. Companies still need systems that can cope with demand and remain accessible. Those requirements have stayed largely the same, even as the surrounding tools have shifted from traditional telephony platforms to cloud and unified communications products.
Healthcare providers tend to make such changes even less often, Boyle said. Internal telephony estates can remain in place for decades. Some trusts have changed internal systems separately from external call routing, leaving different parts of the environment moving at different speeds.
“It is the classic ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’. For the PSTN switch-off, it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime change. But in healthcare, organisations might only change their internal telephony provision every 25 or 30 years. They might change their PBXs or move from copper to IP internally and review it then, but now they are reaching the point where they need to change their external routing. They are probably not going to revisit the internal side because that was already a major project. It is almost as if both are playing catch-up with each other. They never seem to intertwine. And for us, it happens even less often because voice is always working, so we do not want to interfere with it. There is a perception that if you interfere with it, you might break it and make it worse. In healthcare, that impacts people and care. That makes it very different,” said Boyle.
Skills gap
Operational expertise is another issue. Many organisations are reviewing how much telephony infrastructure they should manage themselves and how much they should hand to a provider, Carr said. That question covers both direct spending and the internal cost of using specialist staff on maintenance work.
Yet both speakers said legacy estates still need people who understand voice. Large hospital campuses often run hybrid systems, Boyle said, and some still rely on classic PBX functions and specialist engineering knowledge.
“We are quite fortunate in that, while everything external-facing is IP, internally we have hybrid PBXs as well as an IP PBX. The five hybrid systems are classic telephony PBXs, and all that functionality requires a skilled telecoms engineer to manage it. I am fortunate that I have five skilled telecoms engineers. The difficulty for other healthcare organisations is that over the past 10 or 15 years, telephony has often been absorbed into the network team, collaboration platforms or the EUC team. That is different. But the core functionality of a telephone still needs a skilled telecoms engineer to understand it, especially if you still have parts of a legacy estate. I think there will come a point in the next five to 10 years when those staff and skills start to disappear, and more of this may naturally become part of core IT. But there still needs to be acceptance and understanding that voice expertise matters: how to test, how to probe voice lines and how they work. It is not just a pretend dial tone on an IP phone. There is much more to it. That is a risk looking ahead,” said Boyle.
He also rejected the idea that the move away from the PSTN requires every organisation to replace all internal systems. Large campus sites can keep existing telephony in place if external connections move to SIP-based services, he said.
Different users
The discussion also highlighted a split between the needs of desk-based staff and fixed-location devices. Hospital estates can include thousands of wall phones and emergency lines. Those use cases differ from those of staff who move between sites or work from home and expect a single number across multiple devices.
That divide can push organisations into over-engineered solutions, Boyle said. In some cases, old processes are forced onto newer systems. He argued that this weakens the service and leads users to conclude that the technology itself is at fault.
Decision-making improves when organisations start with business requirements rather than a preferred platform, Carr said. There is no single product that suits every team, and some organisations will continue to run different technology stacks across the same estate.
“That is particularly pertinent for us. If you are going after a specific platform or technology, you must consider how much nuance there is in the business and in the organisation. As we were saying about the split between worker types and departments, we do not have a use case for a large number of collaboration-platform licences when we have eight or ten thousand wall phones serving a simple purpose. Why try to fix that problem when you are trying to solve another? It seems a bit foolish. There is real benefit in splitting it up and simplifying it, rather than trying to chase some ideal end state,” said Boyle.
Blossom Pottery Cafe opened on Friday, August 14 at 18 South Bar, bringing a new artistic opportunity to coffee, tea and cake lovers in the town.
Opening the cafe was a long-standing dream of owner Wendy, who began pottery as a personal hobby and gradually developed the idea of creating a space where people of all ages can enjoy the peaceful pass time.
With every table full on opening weekend and dozens of beautiful pieces newly painted by guests, the owner said her ‘heart is so full’ to see the dream realised.
“So grateful to see so many of you coming to support us on our opening day,” she shared. “Thank you so much.”
Wendy earlier said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening Blossom Pottery Studio & Café and bringing something new to Banbury.
“We hope it becomes a place where people can take a break from their busy lives, enjoy being creative, and make lasting memories with family and friends.
“The support we’ve received from the local community has been amazing, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone through our doors.”
As part of the grand opening, all customers who visited during the opening weekend or made a pottery painting booking within the next three months received a free cupcake from the cafe.
Blossom Pottery Cafe hosts family-friendly pottery painting sessions from 10am each day, with normal cafe opening hours 8am to 5pm.
Atos highlighted the views of three apprentices entering the technology industry, focusing on apprenticeships as a route into tech as artificial intelligence reshapes workplace skills.
All three work as First Line Service Desk Apprentices and described a jobs market in which technical knowledge alone is not enough. Alongside coding and troubleshooting, they said communication, customer service, problem-solving and adaptability have become central to early careers in IT.
Kyle Brady said he moved into an apprenticeship after studying physics, maths and computer science at A level, then spending time in temporary work, including as a forklift driver, while building his technical skills independently. The apprenticeship, he said, offered a way to gain workplace experience while continuing to learn.
His account points to a common hurdle for new entrants: gaining practical experience before securing a first role. Brady said that challenge shaped his view of what employers value in technology jobs.
“After completing my A levels in physics, maths and computer science, I knew I wanted a career in technology. I’ve always enjoyed solving problems and understanding how things work, but I found it difficult to get my foot in the door. I spent some time in temporary jobs, including as a forklift driver, while building my technical skills in my own time. When the opportunity to start an apprenticeship came along, it felt like the perfect way to gain real workplace experience while continuing to learn.
“One of the biggest things my apprenticeship has taught me is that a career in tech is about much more than technical knowledge. Working on the helpdesk has shown me how important communication, customer service and problem-solving are. Being the first point of contact for users has completely changed how I see the industry and helped me develop skills I never realised I’d need. The experience has also shown me how quickly technology is evolving, especially with AI becoming part of more workplaces. That means the ability to keep learning and adapting is becoming just as important as technical skills. My apprenticeship has helped me build that mindset while giving me hands-on experience with the realities of working in IT.
“It’s also opened up opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Learning about career paths in cybersecurity and data engineering has shown me the range of opportunities available and given me confidence about where my career could go next. I’d encourage anyone thinking about a career in technology to keep an open mind and not feel like university is the only route. Apprenticeships give you the chance to earn while you learn, develop practical skills from day one and build the confidence to adapt as technology continues to change. In an industry being transformed by AI, that real-world experience is invaluable,” Brady said.
Ryan Cresswell said he studied IT at college and games design at university before working in sales to strengthen his people skills. He later returned to technology, but said employers often wanted practical IT experience as well as qualifications.
His experience reflects a wider issue for people seeking entry-level technology roles. Employers often ask for evidence of workplace readiness even for junior positions, making apprenticeships one way to bridge the gap between education and employment.
“After studying IT at college and games design at university, I began working in sales to hone my people skills before returning to technology. One of the biggest challenges I faced while applying for jobs in tech was that employers liked my qualifications but wanted candidates with hands-on IT experience. That made it difficult to get my foot in the door.
“My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to earn, learn and gain practical experience at the same time. It’s allowed me to develop my technical troubleshooting skills, but I’ve also learned a lot about communication, problem-solving and handling different types of people. My advice to anyone considering a career in tech is to explore the different paths available. In the past it felt like university was the only choice, but that’s no longer the case. Also, speak to people already working in the industry and stay curious. Apprenticeships are a great way to build skills, confidence and hands-on experience, whether working individually or in a team, while discovering what’s right for you. The most important thing is to keep learning and not be afraid to take a different path if the first one doesn’t work out,” Cresswell said.
Skills shift
Zainab Hussain said she chose an apprenticeship because it offered immediate workplace experience and a path into more senior roles without student debt. She said the role had helped her develop both technical and interpersonal skills, including troubleshooting problems and explaining complex concepts clearly.
Her comments underscore how apprenticeships are being framed by employers and trainees as an alternative to university for some digital roles. In this case, the appeal lies in earning while learning, building professional networks and gaining direct exposure to the daily demands of IT support.
“I’m naturally drawn to tech and have always been IT literate, so I knew it was the right path for me. It’s an industry that’s constantly evolving, and I wanted to be part of that. I chose an apprenticeship because it felt like the best way to gain real experience from day one, and it sets you up to move into higher roles faster than if you go to university. I also wanted to build a career in the industry without taking on student debt.
“My time at Atos so far has helped me develop both my soft and technical skills, such as how to troubleshoot problems and communicate complex concepts clearly. I’ve also had the chance to earn, learn and build my experience, all of which are helping prepare me for the next stage of my career. The apprenticeship path has given me valuable opportunities to network with co-workers from different career backgrounds and skill sets, which you wouldn’t get at uni. The workplace experience has been incredibly valuable, so if you’re interested in tech, I’d encourage you to go for an apprenticeship, explore every opportunity available and keep an open mind,” Hussain said.
Taken together, the three accounts point to a shift in the skills mix associated with junior technology roles. As AI tools become more common in workplaces, the apprentices said the ability to keep learning, work with users and adapt to changing systems is becoming as important as formal technical training.
All three also described apprenticeships as a practical answer to the experience barrier that can prevent candidates entering the sector. They framed the route as a way to gain income, training and exposure to real workplace problems at the same time, while opening paths into areas such as cybersecurity, data engineering and wider IT support.
Liquidators have been instructed to wind down Go Fly Oxford, which provided lessons for commercial and private pilots licences.
Colin Wilson and Emma Mifsud, of Opus Restructuring & Insolvency, have been appointed as joint liquidators for Go Fly Oxford Ltd back in May 2025.
But new records filed by the liquidators have revealed an HMRC secondary preferential claim of £118,132.
Ten unsecured claims have been received by the liquidators totalling £60,314.
Further unsecured creditor claims estimated in the statement of affairs total £88,955, the published documents say.
Over the past year, liquidators say they investigated whether any recoveries could be made from directors or other parties, but concluded there were no further viable assets or claims.
Aircraft shown in the 2024 accounts at a book value of £238,181 had been sold before liquidation. The liquidators found the sales appeared to be at fair value and saw no basis for a claim over the transactions.
The aircraft sales happened about seven months before liquidation, outside the relevant period for a preference claim.
The aircraft were reportedly transferred to creditors and leased back so the company could continue trading.
A purchaser of a PA34-200 aircraft was said to owe £6,000. The liquidators received £4,980; the remaining £1,020 was treated as settled because the purchaser had paid a company liability instead.
Two employees were made redundant on 31 March 2025 and were given information to submit claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.
READ MORE: MOT centre and car shop collapses into administration
The flying school was based at Oxford Airport when it collapsed.
Its website, which has since been shut down, described the business: “At Go Fly Oxford we pride ourselves on offering a personal and tailored approach to pilot training.
“We know that people learn at different paces and in different ways, this makes catering for individual needs our main target.”
Oxford Airport’s main trade is pilot training. Flight schools at Oxford train pilots who go on to fly for more than 100 airlines in the UK and globally, including for British Airways.
Historically, the airport has been Europe’s foremost centre for professional pilot training with well over 40,000 students having started their careers there.
At one point, the airport’s runway was the busiest in the world with more than 235,000 movements a year (a take-off or landing) and up to 1,100 flights in a single day, its website says.
The business’ report says: “Over the course of 2025, the company will be complementing its Diamond DA40 fleet with a new fleet of Elixir aircraft, a safer and more efficient type of aircraft, which will provide a much reduced cost per flight hour.
“This, along with growth in enrolments and full utilisation of the European base will ensure the profitability of the business in the coming years.”
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