NHS trust trials assistive technologies for its new National Rehabilitation Centre

Equipment tracking, artificially intelligent CCTV, and voice-activated environmental controls are some of the technologies being trialled at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust 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 neurorehabilitation. 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.

In addition to the CCTV, 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 will support patient independence.

Intelligent patient terminals which can guide patients through additional rehabilitation exercises via games and other apps, and a digital twin of the building which allows staff to see which rooms are in use and to book rooms and equipment, are included in the trials.

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.

Sarah Davies, Linden Lodge Ward Manager, explained that the artificial intelligence-enhanced CCTV, which includes digital tripwires, has been an important addition in keeping patients safe.

She said: “What we find is that a lot of our patients, because of their cognitive impairment, often try to abscond or leave the building. 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.”

Lisa Yates, Digital Strategy Lead at NUH NHS Trust, added: “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.

“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.”

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.

Declan Hadley, Healthcare Lead for Cisco UK & Ireland, commented: “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.

“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.”

According to research about children and young people, health technology should be easy to use, have the ability to be personalised, allow the user to choose how their information is shared, and, where possible, have in-built games and incentives.