Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust has awarded a contract worth £275,000 to London-based Physitrack PLC for the provision of an exercise prescription software service.
The platform is said to enable physiotherapists to create “customised home exercise programs” with “easy-to-follow” videos to promote adherence, pain tracking, and progress monitoring features. According to the company’s website, it covers “over 18,000 exercises” across categories such as musculoskeletal, women’s health and pregnancy, and senior health.
It notes integration with digital systems including Epic, and a range of free e-learning courses designed to help physiotherapists earn accreditations and develop their skills. Other features for clinicians include in-app direct messaging, video calling, AI-assisted programme building, printable programme options, and analytics to help track patient outcomes. Through the patient app, patients have access to features such as discomfort level reporting, progress monitoring, adherence monitoring “to help build good recovery habits”, and the option to leave feedback on exercises for their physios.
Last year, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust awarded a 10-year contract extension for the electronic patient record system from The Phoenix Partnership (TPP).
Earlier this week, we covered the organisational strategy for 2025 – 2030 at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where it sets out its vision, objectives and measures, as well noting the opportunities to utilise data, innovation and a digital-first approach.
Digital in supporting patient care
We were joined for a recent panel discussion on the topic of health tech and innovation for the future, by Dr Penny Kechagioglou, chief clinical information officer and deputy chief medical officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire; James Driver, digital innovation manager at Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB; and Dan Johnston, associate CNIO and director of clinical operations for Imprivata.
HTN also covered the launch of a virtual fracture clinic at North Middlesex University Hospital, supporting patients following a scan for a fracture or a minor injury, aiming to reduce physical follow-up appointments where possible. The trust notes how this will “improve waiting times for both patients seen virtually and those needing to visit the face-to-face clinic.”
The British Heart Foundation awarded nearly £230k to University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, for their Appitrator app, supporting “personalised medication recommendations”. According to the trust, the funding will help to further develop an algorithm they have created, which records “key patient data” such as blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and potential side effects and then uses that information to generate personalised medication recommendations. The trust notes that the ultimate aim of this project is to turn their algorithm into a “user-friendly smartphone app” which will allow patients to “manage their symptoms and receive better personalised care”.
