NHS BOSS SIR SIMON STEVENS TO STEP DOWN

Sir Simon Stevens is to step down as the head of NHS England and become a peer, the UK government has announced. After seven years in the role, Sir Stevens will leave on 31 July having overseen the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to all adults.

Sir Stevens has previously been vocal about the greater need for the NHS to invest in technology and diagnostics and has encouraged the use of AI and machine learning within the NHS. In December 2020, Sir Simon confirmed 11 more parts of the country will be formally designated integrated care systems (ICS), servicing a combined population of 14.5 million people.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson said he had "led the NHS with great distinction," adding: "I want to thank him for his dedicated service throughout - but especially when facing the extraordinary pressures of the past year, and for his huge contribution to our vaccine rollout." 

Meanwhile, NHS Digital has announced that Simon Bolton has been appointed as its interim CEO. Replacing Sarah Wilkinson, who has been CEO of NHS Digital for four years, Bolton joins the organisation from Test and Trace where he has been the chief information officer since August 2020.

LEEDS HOSPITAL GOES LIVE WITH AGFA'S ENTERPRISE IMAGING

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust (LTHT) has implemented Agfa HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging (EI) solution, a unified platform with clinical tools, reporting and a workflow engine.

The system will help the LTHT maximise its productivity, collaborate with neighbouring trusts and provide a single storage product for the LTHT’s radiological images, facilitating mobile working so that clinicians can access studies and reports in real-time.

The Agfa HealthCare EI solution is expected to help streamline the clinical pathway for reporting radiology images, enabling consultants to address the trust’s capacity gap, which has been exacerbated by the increased demand on services following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

BC PLATFORMS PARTNERSHIP TO DRIVE NEW UK HEALTH DATA RESEARCH TOOL

Swiss-based healthcare data management company BC Platforms (BCP), has announced the launch of the new Cohort Discovery (CD) search functionality on the Health Data Research (HDR UK) Innovation Gateway.

Powered by BC|RQUEST technology in partnership with HDR UK, the system will provide a resource that will help further the UK's and global medical research efforts, including work on the COVID-19 research on prevention and treatment.

Nino da Silva, deputy managing director, BCP, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the trusted partner for HDR UK’s ground-breaking, standardised approach to collection, storage and discovery of health datasets through its new CD tool, powered by BC|RQUEST. Our goal is to apply our deep knowledge and understanding of scientists’ needs to accelerate impactful research and translation. Our partnership with HDR UK therefore provides an important demonstration of how BCP can play a significant role in supporting national-level medical research efforts.”

PAINCHEK UPGRADES TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE HOME PAIN ASSESSMENT

Social care professionals working in UK residential care and nursing homes can now utilise AI-powered pain assessment tool PainCheck to assess and score pain in residents whether they are able or unable to self-report their pain.

The tool uses AI to analyse micro-facial expressions indicative of pain, and has upgraded its app so care professionals can assess and document pain scores in every care home resident.

The upgrade uses facial analysis technology - first developed to enable care workers to identify and manage pain in people living with dementia or cognitive impairments - can now be used with care and residential home residents who can self-report their pain.

The new version, PainChek Universal, features the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), a standard used to document self-reported pain levels within the one digital environment, and is available as a free upgrade for existing PainChek users.

KIPUWEX AND IDE GROUP COLLABORATE ON TELEHEALTH SOLUTION

Finnish technology company Kipuwex and Australian medtech consultancy have announced a strategic partnership to bring telehealth solutions to healthcare providers and customers globally.

The Kipuwex-IDE Group partnership will build on Kipuwex’s Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) device which wirelessly measures clinically relevant biomarkers in the assessment of disease management.

The device aims to facilitate real-time data collection, improve remote patient care, enhance clinical workflows and increase healthcare provider efficiency.

IDE Group’s entrepreneurial partnership will help Kipuwex develop a telehealth offering to deliver better healthcare outcomes globally.

NHS TRUSTS LAUNCH NEW IT SYSTEM IN PATHOLOGY LABORATORIES

Labs at four trusts in Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, and Swindon have picked the CliniSys WinPath Enterprise laboratory information management system (LIMS) to support joined-up working and build a common IT platform for innovation.

The South 4 Pathology Partnership, which was formed in 2018 and covers Buckinghamshire Healthcare, Milton Keynes University Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, and Great Western Hospitals NHS trusts, plans to use the single LIMS to help deliver an integrated service across all network sites.

Once the LIMS is in place, it will also support the network’s programme of innovation, making sure all trusts, clinicians and patients are able to take advantage of new technology, such as digital pathology and machine learning.

WESTERN SUSSEX HOSPITALS SIGNS WITH SYSTEM C

Western Sussex Hospitals, which has recently merged with Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals to form University Hospitals Sussex NHS FT, has signed a 10-year contract with System C for a new patient management and theatres system. 

The contract provides a single patient management system that will run across the trust’s Worthing, St Richard’s and Southlands hospital sites, aligning them with their Brighton and Haywards Heath hospitals, which already use System C’s CareFlow.  

Under the terms of the contract, the former Western Sussex Hospitals will also be integrating a new theatre management system from Bluespier, System C’s theatres partner.

TELENT TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS IN AMBULANCES

UK-based digital infrastructure company Telent has been awarded a contract to upgrade the mobile communications devices in all 11 NHS Ambulance trusts across England.

The contract, which is managed by the NHS Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP), will allow for a communications platform which will improve the ability to meet challenging response times for frontline ambulance clinicians during emergencies. 

Replacing the existing hardware solution, Telent and the ARP will deliver the Mobile Data Vehicle Solution (MDVS) programme. This will involve the installation and maintenance of radio and data services in an estimated 5,000 ambulances across England, with the option to include Wales. The contract includes ongoing support for the installed hardware solution for an initial period of five years, with the option to extend for a further two years.

 HEALTH TECH ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES DIGITAL HEALTH INVESTMENT FIRM

Claudio D’Angelo, former co-founder and co-managing partner of Ryse Asset Management, has announced the launch of his latest venture, an investment management firm designed to help digital healthcare and medtech startups deliver breakthroughs in healthcare systems.  

With an initial fundraising target of £100 million and a starting portfolio of seven companies, Spex Capital will identify, support, and invest in early-stage digital health companies. This will allow them to commercialise and scale within the NHS and other healthcare delivery systems on a global scale. 

The firm will invest in early stage and series A / B companies, offering tickets up to £5,000,000. Spex Capital amasses a team of twelve, made up of five investment team members and seven senior advisors.