A new lab has been established to investigate how modern advancements like wearable technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can benefit the NHS.
The University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have established the Health Innovation Lab.
Staff members will look into problems like bed blocking and how it affects getting patients into A&E.
Rory Cellan-Jones, an ex-BBC technology reporter, served as an inspiration in some ways.
The lab aims to assist in resolving significant issues facing the NHS, including waiting lists, information sharing between departments, and access to medical professionals.
The first goal of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, according to commercial director Claire Richardson, was to address bed blocking and patient flow in hospitals.
These kinds of problems are extremely complex, and one person cannot resolve them, she said.
It's not a problem that one institution can really solve, but Ms. Richardson continued, "We're hoping with this special collaboration we'll actually get some real traction and be able to make a positive difference.".
In order to reduce the risk of cross-infection on the wards, wearable technology will be used to remotely monitor patient health conditions. It is hoped that AI will assist in identifying trends and patterns.
After being given the diagnoses of eye cancer in 2005 and Parkinson's disease in 2019, Mr. Cellan-Jones, who has written extensively about technology and the healthcare industry, has been a frequent patient on the NHS.
On the one hand, I had fantastic care while going through the system, but I was also surprised by how slowly the NHS adopted the digital revolution, the man said.
In addition to Google, AstraZeneca, Iceni Labs, and the Department for Business and Trade, the lab collaborates with a number of other parties.
It is regarded as the first of its kind, and the team hopes that its innovations will be adopted by other states.
The project, according to Alex Cottrell, manager of the Growth Hub at the University of Gloucestershire, should have a "profound" impact on the effectiveness of the NHS.
"We all love the NHS and are so appreciative of it, but I think everyone can see the challenges," she said.
"I'm hoping the lab will serve as a model for what can be achieved across the rest of the nation.
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