University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has launched a radiography app to provide students and apprentices with access to a range of clinical learning resources through their mobile phones.
Developed entirely in-house by Benjamin Hubbard, practice educator for therapeutic radiography and Simon Jassel, advanced practitioner in imaging and IT, the app provides learners with access to key documents, videos, presentations, workbooks and quizzes designed to “support the development of clinical skills”.
Speaking on the benefits of the app, Benjamin commented: “It’s ideal for students who’ve spent the day on placement and want to reflect at home or on the move. It puts all the content in one concise, easy-to-access space and is interactive too, as learners can request additional resources. Thanks to built-in analytics, we can also track usage too to better its efficiency.”
The platform was made using the Microsoft Power Apps tool after Benjamin and Simon realised learners who were studying remotely didn’t have access to important educational material. “It was very much a case of how we can replicate something useful without incurring costs to the NHS,” Simon shared. “There was a lot of trial and error at first, but now students and apprentices can download materials to their phones, listen to tutorials, or read documents on the go.”
According to the trust, Birmingham City University and Sheffield Hallam University students are already using the app to aid them in their learning, meaning they can now “securely access trusted material even when away from the hospital site”.
As part of UHNM’s commitment to digital transformation, they recently received funding for the development of a national AI training programme with the aim to help equip healthcare scientists with the “knowledge and skills needed to be able to use AI when caring for patients”. Work is still ongoing with this project, as they continue to explore the role AI plays within echocardiology throughout 2025.
Mobile apps in healthcare: the wider trend
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS FT recently shared details of a new web-based app, aimed at improving the ordering process for patient equipment across the region. The Equipment Locality App was also made using the Microsoft Power Apps tool and “built from scratch” by Luke Holland, a therapy clinical site coordinator at Good Hope Hospital. It allows staff to find the most appropriate supplier when ordering healthcare equipment, such as walking frames and walking sticks.
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are currently piloting the digital wound app, Minuteful for Wound by Healthy.io, to help improve care for local people across the region. The app was introduced to Neston Care Community Team, Neston Dressing Clinic, Central Dressing Clinic and the Tissue Viability Service as part of a 12-month pilot, testing the capabilities of the app in clinic and community settings, including in the homes of patients.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with University College London, has launched the MENO.pause app, a digital tool aimed at supporting clinicians with decision-making when managing patients with menopause symptoms. Clinicians answer a series of questions around a patient’s symptoms, medical history and genetic variations, after which the app provides different options for helping the patient based on “menopause management guidelines”.
