Number porting for care homes is a critical process. Phone lines carry calls from families, GPs, hospitals, pharmacies and emergency services. A failed port could mean missed care calls. We specialise in zero-downtime number migration for the UK care sector — combining staged ports, off-peak cutovers, temporary diverts and rollback strategies.
Key points for safe number porting
- Audit all numbers: DIDs, fax lines, nurse call, lift phones and fire panels.
- Temporary diverts: inbound calls reach mobiles or VoIP during cutover.
- Off-peak scheduling: out-of-hours windows minimise risk to residents.
- Rollback plan: tested route back if a port fails validation.
- Voicemail-to-email & call queues: ensure messages are never lost.
1) Number audit & discovery
We start with a full audit of all numbers linked to the care home. This includes published DDIs, fax numbers, lifts, fire panels, nurse call systems and reception lines. Every number is catalogued to avoid surprises during the port.
2) Temporary diverts & staged ports
For safety, we apply temporary diverts so inbound calls are routed to mobiles or SIP trunks during the porting window. Ports are staged in waves (e.g., admin lines first, emergency lines last) to keep critical services protected.
3) Off-peak scheduling
Ports are scheduled out-of-hours — evenings or weekends — when resident and staff call volumes are lowest. Our engineers remain on call to validate lines live.
4) Rollback & validation
Every port has a rollback plan. If validation fails, we immediately revert to the old carrier. We test inbound/outbound calls, voicemail, hunt groups and emergency numbers in real time.
5) Additional safeguards
- Call queues for main lines to reduce abandoned calls.
- Voicemail-to-email for managers on duty.
- Temporary announcements informing callers of migration.
- Wallboards for live monitoring of answered/missed calls.
Related guides
FAQs
Can we port numbers without downtime?
Yes — we use staged ports, temporary diverts and live validation so lines remain open at all times.
What about emergency numbers like lifts and fire panels?
We audit and test every number, including lifts and fire alarms, ensuring backup routes or failover SIMs.
How long does the porting process take?
Most ports complete within 5–10 working days once approved. Critical lines are staged with temporary diverts.