Marie Curie - Enabling compliance through device modernisation

Achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation was part of Marie Curie's NHS compliance requirements.
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Customer overview

Organisation: Marie Curie
Industry: Charity (Healthcare)
Size: Approximately 4,000 employees
Operations: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Marie Curie provides expert end-of-life care and support to people living with terminal illnesses across the UK. Through a combination of nursing care, hospices and helpline services, the charity ensures that patients and their families receive compassionate and dignified support when it’s needed most.

Marie Curie NHS compliance

THE CHALLENGE

Marie Curie needed to achieve Cyber Essentials accreditation as part of their NHS compliance requirements. This certification was critical to maintain their ability to continue providing end-of-life care in Wales.

A key part of this compliance effort involved replacing 2,100 Android phones and tablets that were running version 13 or lower. To meet the NHS standard, all devices needed to be upgraded to a minimum of Android 14 within a tight timeframe.

Given the scale of the rollout and the urgency to meet compliance deadlines, Marie Curie required a trusted IT partner who could manage the process end-to-end — from procurement through to deployment and user support — with minimal disruption to daily operations.

THE ESP SOLUTION

ESP Global Services worked in close partnership with Marie Curie to deliver a comprehensive device refresh and deployment project. The solution included:

  • Hardware purchasing and configuration of new Android devices
  • User contact and remote support during migration
  • Secure despatch and logistics management
  • Asset management and tracking
  • Return, secure wiping, and disposal of old devices
  • Full project management to coordinate all activities and stakeholders

The project was originally scheduled for eight weeks, but due to some user engagement challenges, the timeline was extended by four weeks — with mutual agreement — while still successfully meeting the Cyber Essentials accreditation deadline.

Why Marie Curie chose ESP

Marie Curie selected ESP because of our ability to rapidly scale existing services and deliver against strict deadlines without compromising quality.

ESP was already embedded within Marie Curie’s IT environment, supporting their hardware procurement, IT service desk, and asset management services. This existing relationship meant we could seamlessly extend our support to cover the Cyber Essentials project, leveraging our knowledge of their systems and user base to deliver a smooth and efficient rollout.

Customer feedback

Marie Curie employees praised the responsiveness and professionalism of the ESP team throughout the project:

“I’m very satisfied with the service. I had been attended to immediately!”

“The team’s patience and support were excellent and very much appreciated.”

“The ESP agent was brilliant. He tried a few different methods and eventually came up with a way to do what I needed. He was patient and took me through everything — explaining each step so that I could understand. Excellent support.”

“I always have a good experience with problems, excellent team, thanks.”

Marie Curie Cyber Essentials

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

The successful completion of this project enabled Marie Curie to maintain their NHS compliance and continue providing essential end-of-life care across Wales.

Beyond compliance, the upgrade has delivered long-term operational benefits:

  • Future-proofed devices: All new Android devices will receive software and security updates for at least the next five years, reducing the need for another large-scale replacement until at least 2031.
  • Improved performance and functionality: The new Intune build enhances security, streamlines performance, and reduces reliance on the IT Service Desk.
  • Reduced device returns:
    • Commonly used websites are now integrated as homepage applications, eliminating the need for manual bookmarks.
    • Device passcodes can be reset via Intune, minimising returns due to forgotten passwords.
    • Devices no longer auto-wipe after repeated incorrect passcode attempts, further reducing avoidable returns.

Overall, the solution has improved user experience, increased operational resilience, and ensured compliance across Marie Curie’s mobile estate.

Summary

Through a strong partnership and a flexible, customer-focused approach, ESP Global Services helped Marie Curie meet critical NHS compliance requirements while enhancing their mobile device environment for years to come.

ESP’s ability to scale services, manage complex logistics, and deliver within challenging timelines ensured a successful outcome that supports Marie Curie’s vital mission — providing compassionate care for people at the end of their lives.

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