Sussex Health Informatics VPN Review

The Sussex and Surrey Primary Care Support Service (PCSS) faced a requirement to share application access and information across all PCSS locations within Surrey and Sussex.The PCSS IM&T Strategy proposed the adoption of  IP Security Virtual Private Network links between four locations, providing a secure vehicle for delivering PCSS services. However, Connecting for Health was promoting application security through Secure Socket Layer / Transport Level Security (SSL/TLS) technology for transmission of Patient Identifiable Data across N3.

“Imerja’s detailed report and subsequent assistance in configuring an on-site trial allowed my customer to make an informed decision”

Peter Southern, Head of Primary Care Strategy and Delivery
Sussex Health Informatics Service

Therefore Sussex Health Informatics Service (HIS) requested Imerja Limited undertake a due diligence exercise to compare IPSec and SSL technologies as appropriate to the PCSS business needs, taking into consideration:

• Connectivity
• Data Access
• Security
• Support
• Mobility
• Scalability
• Management
• Resilience
• Bandwidth
• Single Sign-On
• Cost
• Ease and Time to Deploy

Imerja examined and compared IPSec against SSL technologies, including varied vendor specific SSL solutions, and provided outline cost comparisons of the different approaches for planning purposes. The result was a comprehensive report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the different technologies as applicable to the PCSS business strategy and objectives.

The report, suitable for all audiences, included Imerja’s recommendation, outline budgetary costs, and a traffic light comparison matrix summarising the features of the different technologies and vendor solutions, making it easy for the reader to draw their own conclusions as to the most appropriate solution for the PCSS.