Equipment tracking, artificially intelligent CCTV and voice-activated environmental controls are just some of the technologies being trialled at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) to support plans to create a national centre of excellence for rehabilitation.
The digital trials are underway at the Linden Lodge unit at the City Hospital site – a 25-bed unit for patients requiring neuro-rehabilitation – and staff and patients have been heavily involved to develop the technologies to their needs.
The aim is to ensure that the right technology is in place to provide patients and staff with the best possible environment for intensive rehabilitation when the new National Rehabilitation Centre opens its doors in Summer 2025.
These trials are funded by The Lister Alliance – an innovation programme developed and funded by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration initiative, which works to support the government’s drive to transform the public sector with digital technology.
“What we find is that a lot of our patients, because of their cognitive impairment, often try to abscond or leave the building,” said Sarah Davies, Linden Lodge Ward Manager. “In order to maintain their safety, at the moment we have to place a member of staff with that patient 24/7. By using the technologies, we can digitally prevent that abscond risk, but equally giving that patient more independence.”
The trials include:
• Real-time asset tracking which allows a staff member to look on an app to identify where a piece of equipment is within the building.
• Voice-activated environmental controls to support patient independence.
• Intelligent patient terminals which can guide patients through additional rehabilitation exercises via games and other apps.
• A digital twin of the building which allows staff to see which rooms are in use and to book rooms and equipment.
To ensure that the right technology is implemented and developed for patients undergoing rehabilitation, staff at Linden Lodge have been involved in the plans for the digital trials since the beginning.
“We’ve worked closely with staff through focus groups and workshops where we have discussed different types of technologies to get their input on how it would work best, before the technology was introduced,” said Lisa Yates, Digital Strategy Lead at NUH. “It was through this that we were able to understand how processes currently work and how digital processes can be used to improve those processes. Until the technology has been implemented in a real, live, patient environment, we don’t fully know how they are going to work, and we need that feedback from patients and staff. As a result, staff are excited by the technology as they have seen how their ideas have shaped the technology being introduced to meet their needs and make the rehabilitation experience better for their patients and their colleagues.”
“Technology has an important role to play in supporting frontline staff to release time to care. However, to achieve all the potential benefits, it is critical that staff are engaged in all stages of the development process. This is something we have successfully achieved with the Linden Lodge programme,” said Declan Hadley, Healthcare Lead, Cisco UK & Ireland. “For many years, Cisco has been supporting healthcare organisations globally to make the best use of technology. For organisations, like Nottingham University Hospitals who are in the process of rebuilding their estate, having industry partnerships is critical to ensure the technology within those new buildings is fit for purpose for the next fifty-plus years. The team at Linden Lodge have put in place a solid foundation, that will enable future developments in Al, robotics and other emerging technologies, which taken together will help patients and staff to achieve better outcomes.”
The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is a £105million programme which will create a 70-bed, purpose-built and highly energy efficient new facility. The specialist NHS facility will be built on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough, home to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre which opened in 2018. The NRC is due to open in Summer 2025. In addition to providing excellent patient care, the NRC will also be a national hub for innovation, cutting-edge research and development, and training and education. Therefore, the NRC has two academic partners – the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University, and a national consortium of 24 universities across the country to ensure the NRC remains at the forefront of rehabilitation research and expertise.
