The verdict in three sentences
A network of 5 satellite dialysis units in London scheduling 420 patients three times a week delivers around 65,000 sessions a year, and each session ties up a chair, a team and two patient transport journeys. The renal clinical system covers the clinical record, but multi-site scheduling, chair rotation and transport bookings often stay on spreadsheets and phone calls. A custom tool meeting NHS data security and interoperability standards costs 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) at Kolonell depending on complexity, delivered in 16 to 20 weeks, with add-on modules quoted separately.
The real bottleneck: session logistics
In-centre haemodialysis patients come in three times a week for 4-hour sessions, and each unit runs two or three shifts a day. Any change (admission, holiday dialysis, a patient moved from another unit, late transport) ripples through chairs, staffing and transport. Unit coordinators spend much of their day on the phone with the non-emergency patient transport service and contracted taxi firms.
| Annual indicator (5-unit network) | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|
| Patients treated | 420 |
| Sessions per year | about 65,000 |
| Patient transport journeys | about 130,000 |
| Coordination time per journey | 3 minutes |
| Coordination hours per year | about 6,500 hours |
| Dialysis chairs across the network | 90 to 110 |
| Target chair utilisation | 85 to 90 % |
When transport arrives 40 minutes late, the chair sits empty and the next shift slips. Over a year, a few points of lost utilisation mean hundreds of sessions that have to be absorbed elsewhere.
What the software must cover
The tool does not replace the renal clinical system: it connects to it. Its job is scheduling and coordination, which keeps it outside medical device regulation as long as it makes no clinical decisions.
| Module | Function | Indicative Kolonell level |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-site session scheduling | Slots, shifts, moves between units | Medium: 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) |
| Chair management | Allocation, machine maintenance, isolation chairs | Included at medium level |
| Transport bookings | Sending to transport providers, confirmation, delay tracking | Complex with the rest: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) |
| Transport provider portal | Next-day schedule, incident reporting | Included at complex level |
| Clinical system interface | Appointments and demographics via HL7 or FHIR UK Core | Quoted after a vendor audit |
| Management dashboards | Utilisation, delays, missed sessions per unit | Included at complex level |
A smaller first phase, limited to scheduling and chairs for one unit, can stay at the simple level of 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) to prove adoption before rolling out to all five sites.
Regulatory and NHS requirements
The supplier and the provider must complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, host data in the UK, and follow UK GDPR. Clinical risk management under DCB0129 and DCB0160 applies even to scheduling tools that touch patient pathways, so a hazard log and a clinical safety officer review belong in the plan. Staff login should support NHS smartcards or NHS CIS2 where the trust requires it. Transport providers only see what they need: name, pickup address, time and unit. Clinical data never leaves the renal system.
The 16 to 20 week plan includes 3 weeks of scoping with unit managers, 11 to 13 weeks of development, then 2 to 4 weeks of testing in a pilot unit. Maintenance then costs 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR), with UK hosting billed separately.
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Priya, operations director of a 5-unit dialysis network across south London, counts 6,500 transport coordination hours a year. With bookings sent automatically the day before and a provider portal, the network targets a 40 % cut, or 2,600 hours. At a loaded cost of 30 GBP per hour, that is 78,000 GBP a year.
Gaining 2 points of chair utilisation on 65,000 sessions also frees about 1,300 slots a year for new patients, reducing pressure on hospital units. The full scope, at complex level, costs at most 22,870 EUR plus premium maintenance at 183 EUR a month (2,196 EUR a year). Time savings alone cover the investment in under 4 months.
FAQ
Is the software a medical device?
Not as long as it is limited to scheduling, chairs and transport with no clinical decision support. DCB0129 and DCB0160 clinical safety documentation still applies, and takes about 2 weeks within the plan.
Where is the data hosted?
In the UK, on infrastructure meeting the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, with encryption and access logging. Hosting cost depends on volume and appears separately in the quote.
Can it connect to our renal clinical system?
Yes if the vendor exposes HL7 or FHIR UK Core interfaces, as most recent systems do. Auditing these interfaces takes about 2 weeks during scoping.
How do transport providers see the schedule?
Through a secure portal limited to name, address, time and unit. One-click confirmation replaces on average 2 calls per journey.
When do we see first results?
A pilot unit can use scheduling and transport bookings from week 12. Rolling out to all 5 units then takes 4 to 8 weeks.
Let's scope your project. We work with your unit managers on multi-site scheduling, transport and the clinical system interface, then plan a pilot unit before network-wide rollout. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
