We’re delighted to present our finalists for the category of “Health tech case study of the year”.
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust: Staff-led digital transformation
Overview: University Hospitals Sussex delivered a trust-wide electronic document management system across multiple hospitals in under ten months. Using a staff led, supportive approach, the programme replaced paper records with 24/7 digital access, improving patient safety, staff experience and laying strong EPR foundations.
What happened? A dedicated change team was formed to lead the rollout of an eDMS across four hospitals, 65 specialities and over 200 outpatient areas and 50 wards. More than 900 members of staff were engaged. The project was delivered in phases, with each service engaged individually ahead of rollout. Staff were briefed on the “why” and the benefits, then supported through “dry runs” to test workflows before going live. During go live, each service received two weeks of intensive support, including floorwalking, side by side training, a dedicated hotline, and virtual drop-in sessions. In a post-rollout survey, 96 percent of staff rated the process as “good” or “very good”. The eDMS system is now being used extensively with over 4,000 unique logins per month. During the rollout year, clinicians accessed just under 22,800 medical records for patients with two or more outpatient appointments in different locations on the same day. Patient experience has improved, and information is now available instantly at the point of care. The roll out of the eDMS has also created capacity and efficiency gains.
Lutra Health: A blueprint for the UK: Scalable digital cataract referrals with Lutra Health
Overview: Lutra Health has transformed the cataract pathway at Tayside by digitising referrals, enabling 90 percent of patients to be directly listed for surgery without pre-operative visit. The innovation cut wait time for surgery by 25 percent, saved clinical time and costs, and delivered excellent patient and optometrist experience.
What happened? Lutra Health created a digital platform that enables secure, structured sharing of referral information between optometrists, patients and ophthalmologists. Essential clinical measurements are captured in the community, once, and paired with patient reported information through an intuitive web application. The platform enables surgeons to directly list suitable patients for cataract surgery without a pre operative hospital visit. Since its introduction in July 2023, the platform has processed 1253 cataract referrals from local optoms to NHS Tayside. Of these referrals, 90.08 per cent were directly listed for surgery without the need for a pre operative hospital appointment. By avoiding 1127 unnecessary outpatient appointments the pilot has produced estimated financial savings of 135,324 pounds for NHS Tayside. When applied to the trust’s usual annual referral volume of around three thousand cases the projected saving exceeds £300,000 annually. 25 percent has been cut off the wait time from referral to surgery. Feedback from users has been highly positive.
Think Healthcare (Focus Group): Transforming training and access in Scottish primary care
Overview: Denny Cross strengthened GP training and supervision by integrating Think Healthcare’s cloud telephony into daily practice. Reliable recordings, callback and improved oversight enhanced learning, protected staff and improved access.
What happened? Call recording quickly became a core part of daily training. Trainees now take triage calls and sit with their supervising GP to listen back, review communication choices and identify learning points. The practice learned about live coaching tools that allow supervisors to join calls silently and guide trainees without the patient hearing. Callback was introduced and quickly became essential. Older patients in particular found it easier to engage with the practice. Reliable recordings now give immediate clarity when issues arise. Managers can review calls quickly, which protects staff and supports fair decision making. The practice is interested in upcoming AI call analytics. Supervisors will be able to search transcripts for key themes and identify calls where the patient sounded distressed. Training quality is strengthened across the whole practice, with every trainee able to review real calls and receive structured feedback that was not possible before, whilst supervisors gain clearer visibility of clinical communication, and patients experience a noticeably smoother route into care.
NEC Software Solutions x Swansea Bay University Health Board: OWLi – Transforming orthopaedic waiting lists through digital innovation
Overview: OWLi is a digital platform developed with Pro-Mapp Ltd to optimise orthopaedic waiting lists in Swansea Bay UHB. It monitors patient health, stratifies risk, and delivers personalised support, improving surgical readiness and system efficiency for over 4,000 patients awaiting hip and knee replacements.
What happened? OWLi began as a research project but quickly evolved into a live operational tool. A pilot phase saw 200 patients testing the platform, providing feedback on usability and communication. Patients, carers, and clinicians shaped improvements, including simplified registration and support for those with low digital literacy. OWLi linked with Swansea Bay’s prehabilitation services, enabling seamless referrals. Within 12 months, OWLi managed over 4,000 orthopaedic patients awaiting hip or knee replacement surgery. Clinicians reported improved efficiency, as OWLi flagged high-risk patients early, reducing wasted appointments and theatre time. Administrative burdens were reduced, 300 patients with Class III obesity were identified and supported – all optimised or on track for BMI targets, and 500+ health nudges were sent – prompting blood tests and checks for diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, and anaemia. Crucially, OWLi is thought to have prevented over 500 failed pre-op appointments, saving significant clinical time and resources.
Restore Information Management: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare saved 13 hours a day with automatic ordering
Overview: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust saved 13 hours of admin a day by implementing Restore Information Management’s bespoke Auto-Ordering system, linking appointment bookings to patient record retrieval. This reduced manual ordering, freed staff time, supported digital transition, and saved costs.
What happened? The trust identified duplication in outpatient data entry and worked with Restore Information Management to implement the Auto-Ordering system. Patient notes are now ordered automatically when appointments are booked, removing manual entry and reducing errors. The system is fully customisable, enabling delivery rules to be set based on appointment type, speciality, clinician preference, or location. To ensure clinicians would always have access to the correct records, the trust and Restore Information Management carried out extensive testing before go-live. Auto-Ordering delivered significant time savings. With manual ordering now required only for occasional legal, audit, or research requests, the trust was able to reassign two staff members to other duties. The system also reduced costs. Faster automated ordering meant more records were included in the first daily delivery, allowing the trust to eliminate the second daily delivery entirely. Auto-Ordering also supports the trust’s longer-term digital ambitions through future use of Scan on Demand.
Modality Partnership: RPA at scale: Automating core primary care workflows to improve capacity, safety, and access
Overview: Modality’s primary care RPA estate automates over 900,000 clinical and administrative tasks, releasing 55,000+ hours. With robust clinical governance, redesigned workflows and 24/7 automation, the programme improves safety, reduces variation and improves the working day.
What happened? Practices participated in workshops to identify high-volume, repetitive tasks for automation. An expert team of GP partners, clinicians and managers mapped workflows to identify inefficiencies, safety risks and unnecessary variation. All bots underwent DPIA review and DCB0129/0160-aligned clinical safety assessment, with human-in-the-loop oversight built into every route. Real-time dashboards allow staff to monitor bot behaviour and manage exceptions safely. Bots were piloted with early-adopter practices before being deployed across a total of 54 sites. Training, standard operating procedures and exception pathways were co-developed with administrative teams. More than 900,000 tasks have been automated (registrations, prescriptions, pathology, documents), with 55,000+ workforce hours released, equivalent to more than 30 WTE GP hours and 330,000 additional appointments. This represents a 200 percent annual return on investment. Absenteeism reduced from 42 to 17 percent, staff reported improved workload manageability, and automation reduced human error.
Heidi and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust: Heidi AI scribe pilot at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Overview: Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (DGFT) has a 30,000+ outpatient letter backlog across 42 specialties. Clinics are paper based and slow letter workflows delay patient and GP communication, impacting care and patient experience. Coding delays risk financial loss. The trust piloted the AVT AI scribe since January 2025.
What happened? DGFT implemented the Heidi AI Scribe in Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), SDEC outpatients, rheumatology outpatients and from April to July 2025 the Trust piloted clinical coding for the first time. A proof of concept for integration with the Sunrise EPR will enable real-time transcription during consultations, with immediate generation of clinical letters. Clinicians could review notes at the point of care, reducing post-clinic administrative work. In SDEC, documentation time per patient fell from 8.6 to 2.5 minutes, freeing 221 clinical hours per month for direct patient care. In rheumatology, the backlog of over 2,700 clinical letters was reduced to fewer than 200 within five months. Turnaround times improved from six months to eight days. Patients consistently reported improved consultations, with over 90 percent feeling more listened to. Documentation omissions decreased by 55 percent, coding queries dropped 15 percent, throughput tripled, completion times decreased 45 percent, and errors fell 90 percent.
Innovel Ltd: LEAFix, securing the airway through a purpose designed airway fixation device
Overview: LEAFix is a patented Class I airway fixation device designed to replace tape and tie practices in anaesthesia. By providing a standardised, hygienic, clinically engineered method for securing the airway, LEAFix improves patient safety, reduces injury risk, supports infection control, and delivers operational improvement.
What happened? LEAFix is a patented Class I airway fixation device compliant with EU MDR 2017/745, registered with the MHRA, listed with the FDA, and approved for use in additional regulated international markets. The device incorporates a Y shaped anchor design that secures to the mandible and maxilla, distributing pressure evenly and reducing tube movement. An angled section allows the device to conform naturally around the airway tube, while integrated perforations provide flexibility in application, enabling clinicians to adapt the technique without compromising security. At the core of LEAFix is an advanced foam acrylic adhesive selected to balance strong fixation with patient comfort. LEAFix is complemented by a dedicated Training Portal developed with clinical experts. Clinical feedback highlights reduced perioral injuries, improved stability during prolonged procedures, and increased confidence among theatre teams. Departments report LEAFix has improved how airways are secured, particularly in high risk cases where traditional tape and ties previously posed significant challenges.
Medefer: Targeted Prostate Health Checks: data-led case finding and digital consent that finds clinically significant cancer earlier
Overview: Targeted Prostate Health Checks (TPHC) used GP records and digital consent to invite 67,000 high-risk men to community PSA testing. 18,317 were tested; 865 required urgent referral; 263 cancers were found, 84 percent clinically significant. Independent analysis showed cost-effectiveness (ICER £3,709/QALY).
What happened? TPHC is a health tech enabled, risk-based case-finding pathway for prostate cancer. Using structured searches of GP records, we proactively invited around 67,000 higher-risk men. Testing took place in community clinics, and only men who needed urgent assessment were referred via e-RS into NHS two-week-wait pathways. Only 865 men (4.7 percent of those tested) required urgent referral. Downstream utilisation included 823 multiparametric MRIs and 343 transperineal biopsies, concentrating diagnostics on a relatively small, higher-risk group. 263 prostate cancers were diagnosed (1.5 percent of those tested). 84 percent were clinically significant (ISUP Grade Group 2 to 5). Independent evaluation found around two-thirds detected at stage 1 to 2 versus around half in national audit data. Satisfaction averaged 4.7/5, with 95 percent rating the service Good or Excellent. Independent cost-utility analysis found TPHC cost-effective under NICE thresholds. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found the pathway cost-effective in more than 99 percent of iterations at the £20,000 per QALY threshold.
Preventx Ltd: Expanding access and reducing barriers to HIV prevention through digital pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) service
Overview: Preventx launched the Digital PrEP Service, removing longstanding barriers to HIV prevention. By enabling users to complete assessments, testing and prescribing remotely, thousands have accessed PrEP without clinic attendance. The service has widened access and reduced waiting pressures for clinics.
What happened? Preventx developed a new remote care pathway that removed the need for physical clinic attendance. The goal was simple: make it easier for people already eligible for PrEP to receive it and stay on it safely. The service enables users to register confidentially online, complete a structured clinical assessment, receive validated home blood-testing kits, communicate with clinicians via secure messaging, and receive medication rapidly via post. Since launch across 11 local authorities, the service has delivered measurable improvements in access and equity. 2,795 individuals have been prescribed PrEP, with half living in the top 30 percent most deprived areas. The new pathway strengthened continuity through automated reminders for prescriptions and proactive follow-up instead of patient-led booking, meaning fewer gaps in treatment, fewer urgent requests, and smoother flow through existing systems. Users most valued the speed of access, clarity of communication, privacy, and reminders. PrEP actively contributes to prevention goals – including reducing HIV transmission risk.
University Hospitals of Leicester and Northamptonshire NHS Group: One Digital and Data Team Year One, a transformative impact
Overview: The Digital and Data Team at UHL & UHN in it’s first year of existence has successfully delivered a significant set of transformations. Patient care has improved through innovative digital solutions, exemplified by seamless, paper-free experiences and self-check-in at scale supporting 30,000 staff and 3,400 acute beds.
What happened? In August 2024 the Digital and Data Team was unified under a new group digital leadership, launching the “One Digital Strategy” in February 2025. Hundreds of staff contributed to design workshops and testing cycles for major system go-lives. Digital champions and clinical leads ensured workflows were safe, intuitive, and aligned to service needs. Midwives, clinicians, and parents co-designed the rollout of BadgerNet, ensuring accessibility and personalised care pathways. The launch of the Data Academy and AI Academy empowered over 100 staff in the first cohort, focusing on workforce capability, digital confidence, and local improvement leadership. In June 2025, UHL successfully deployed the Nervecentre Patient Administration System (PAS), migrating 50 million data points with zero loss and no disruption. Northampton followed with the deployment of Nervecentre clinical modules, with over 4,225 staff logging in and completing more than 1.5 million clinical notes in the first month. Digital transformation was not something “delivered to” staff but shaped by them.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: FirstLight – an apprenticeship approach lighting the way for digital futures
Overview: FirstLight—created by University Hospitals of Leicester with St Vincents Consulting and Purple Beard—addresses NHS digital skills shortages through a scalable apprenticeship model. Combining local recruitment, intensive bootcamps, and structured apprenticeships, it builds a sustainable workforce.
What happened? UHL partnered with St Vincents Consulting, an EPR delivery specialist, to devise FirstLight—a regional academy designed to identify and nurture the next generation of NHS digital professionals. St Vincents joined forces with Purple Beard, an ed-tech provider, to co-design an 18-month apprenticeship scheme. The programme combined a 12-week intensive bootcamp with blended on-site and virtual learning. Candidates were recruited from the local labour market. Apprentices rotated through core disciplines such as Project Support, Business Analysis, Configuration, Testing, Data & Reporting, and Integration. After training, apprentices transferred into UHL as substantive Band 5 EPR Solution Technicians. 70 individuals applied for the bootcamp; 20 were accepted, 17 completed, and 15 advanced into full apprenticeships. Independent analysis shows that 10 substantive Band 4 staff cost approximately £360,000 per year, compared with more than £1.06 million for equivalent contract resource at £400 per day plus VAT—an annual cost avoidance of around £696,000.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: Unit dose medicines administration at scale – Optimed at UHL
Overview: A new approach to automated medication dispensing has been implemented in 10 wards with 40 more to follow. The digital platform, developed through a long-term partnership with two suppliers, reduces medication errors, frees clinical time, cuts medicine costs and waste via closed-loop prescribing and barcoded administration.
What happened? UHL partnered with Deenova (UK) Ltd and Nervecentre Software to create an integrated digital platform. The solution centered on automated unit dose dispensing cabinets (“Mario”), filled with barcoded packets prepared at an on-site laboratory. The cabinets are integrated with the Nervecentre prescribing system and patient records, enabling precise selection and dispensation of medicines for each patient. During drug rounds, nurses dock the Optimed drug trolley to the cabinet, which automatically selects and dispenses the required medicines. Co-design sessions, on-site visits, and collaborative calls ensured the system met real clinical needs. Independent research by the University of Birmingham demonstrated a significant reduction in missed doses. Automated cabinet dispensation and unit dose barcoding improved tracking of recalled medicines, ensuring patient safety. Nurses reported that the new system made drug rounds safer and easier. Over three minutes were saved per patient per round. A 25 percent reduction in incident reports was noted, and medicine spend reduced by 27 percent.
Stroud Green Medical Centre: Using AI to improve care planning quality and consistency in a GP practice
Overview: An AI-assisted care-planning initiative looked to improve care planning quality and consistency at Stroud Green Medical Practice, highlighting clinical workflow integration, outcomes, learning, and assurance.
What happened? An AI-enabled care plan drafting tool was developed that uses de-identified clinical information to generate a structured draft care plan for patients with respiratory, metabolic, dementia, and mental health conditions. The system accepts a de-identified extract from the EMIS record, uses a large language model via a secure API to draft a structured care plan, incorporates NICE guidance, North Central London (NCL) pathways, and local service information, and presents outputs strictly as drafts for clinician review. A GP reviews every output and makes substantive edits before the plan is finalised or shared with the patient. In practice, clinicians alter well over 50 percent of generated drafts, reinforcing that clinical responsibility remains entirely with the clinician. Early findings include significant reductions in clinician time spent drafting care plans, improved consistency in care-plan structure across LTC cohorts, positive clinician feedback on usability and reduced cognitive load.
