Let’s take a look at some of the latest health tech stories to have caught our eye over the last few weeks.
First citizens recruited to Kent and Medway Digital and Data Involvement Group
16 “digital citizens” have been recruited to Kent and Medway’s Digital and Data Involvement Group, set up to ensure that the views and needs of people in the region are represented within the ICS’s digital and data work.
According to the ICS, the group will inform the development of digital and data projects, support co-design and co-production, and help “maintain insight informed approach to the use of data and digital”. Those recruited have received training, and will begin their roles formally in April 2025.
Mayur Vibhuti, CCIO at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “The digital and data involvement group is about creating a new way of working, one that’s built on trust, transparency, and shared purpose. This is a major step forward in how we embed public voice into the digital future of health and care.”
Launch of women’s health website developed in collaboration with local women in Dorset
A website has been launched in Dorset focusing on topics including contraception, mental health, breast health and menopause, as the result of a collaboration with NHS Dorset, clinicians, and the public. Designed to help empower people to make informed decisions about their health, the website signposts users to local community services and resources.
According to an update from NHS Dorset, the website forms part of a wider programme for women’s health in the region, having been granted £25 million from the government for the development of women’s health hubs under the national Women’s Health Strategy.
An awareness campaign for the website has also been launched, which will see it promoted to residents in local pharmacies, GPs offices, and other key locations.
Pilot of AI and falls prevention tech cuts hospital admissions “in half” in Surrey
Falls prevention and detection technology is being utilised in Surrey, with AI and sensors helping monitor care home residents and alerting staff when they need assistance. The pilot has seen the tech rolled out across four care providers in the region to date, with installation completed between October 2023 and February 2024.
Results have demonstrated a 50 percent reduction in hospital admissions, along with a 57 percent reduction in total falls, Surrey Heartlands shares, with residents reportedly experiencing 30 percent fewer disruptions at nighttime, saving five carer hours per night.
Funding has now been secured to roll the technology out to a further 11 care homes across Surrey, in a move which will support a further 330 residents in this way.
AI helping diagnose urgent conditions at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
An AI tool is being utilised in the emergency department at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust to assist with reading chest X-rays, following a successful initial rollout for GP-referred patients in the region.
According to an update from Royal Surrey, the tool uses AI to identify up to 124 possible health issues, including cancer, in patient’s lungs. It is anticipated that it will help more than 40 patients per day, or 14,000 patients per year.
Alex Janusz, a specialist trainee in emergency medicine who worked on integrating the tool, said: “It’s been incredible to see how this technology works alongside clinicians. It’s like having an expert radiologist in the room, helping to confirm your assessments and sometimes even identifying anomalies that might prompt a second look. It’s an invaluable addition to clinical decision-making.”
App for new dads offered free to local residents at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
New dads from Barnsley are being offered support with a free application offering advice and guidance, information on local services and support, and a dedicated community section designed to support the sharing of experiences of fatherhood.
The DadPad app covers topics such as midwifery and health visitor services, a dad’s role in breastfeeding, caring for crying babies, safer sleeping, and mental health. It also links registrants to services for wider needs including housing and domestic abuse.
Video assessments for stroke patients at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
A collaboration between colleagues from the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital and the East of England Ambulance Service Trust is seeing suspected stroke patients assessed by video prior to admission to hospital, in a move that Bedfordshire Hospitals hopes will help provide faster access to life-saving treatment.
Paramedics place a video call to the hospital’s stroke team, allowing for a timely clinical evaluation to be made of the patient, helping the team prepare for the patient’s arrival, and ensuring patients are taken to the most appropriate location for treatment first time.
Brittany Wells, clinical lead for stroke video triage at EEAST, noted that the video link offered the opportunity for early triage to streamline patient care, adding that it “has led to significant reductions in arrival to CT and treatment times for acute stroke patients”.
Celebration of 200th total knee replacement robotic surgery at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals
The 200th robotic total knee replacement surgery has been carried out at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, with consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Abdel Hassan remarking on the “proud achievement” and the opportunities that this type of surgery offers for reducing the risk of infection and shortening recovery time.
The first surgery of this type was carried out at the trust in October 2023, and since then the robotic assistance surgical system has been in use to offer surgeons enhanced precision and accuracy, generating a 3D model of the patient’s joint and using this to plan the optimal implant placement.
Mark Roland, CMO, added: “This is a fantastic achievement for the Orthopaedic Team and the trust. Embracing technology like this system enhances the work of our surgeons and leads to better outcomes for our patients, meaning we can see people and get them back to their daily lives as soon as possible.”
