Harnessing Technology for Enhanced Rehabilitation: Trials at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
4 min read
The NHS is on an exciting journey to revolutionise patient care through cutting-edge technology. Working in partnership with The Lister Alliance, an innovation programme developed and funded by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) initiative, this consortium of academic, industry and NHS partners is demonstrating new ways to deliver accessible, efficient, and personalised healthcare.
Imagine a rehabilitation unit where finding equipment is quick and easy, managing spaces is effortless, and data empowers better engagement and outcomes. That’s the reality at Linden Lodge, a 25-bed specialist neurological rehabilitation unit at City Hospital within Nottingham University Hospitals Trust.
As one of The Lister Alliance’s four Living Labs across the UK, it’s a hotbed of innovation, which aims to deliver wider benefits to society through technology.
This unique approach seeks to challenge traditional ‘top-down’ approaches to technology implementation within the NHS – instead, fostering innovation from the bottom-up by giving frontline staff the time and support to safely test the technology in real-world scenarios. The goal is to ensure the new National Rehabilitation Centre, a purpose-built 70-bed facility being built near Loughborough and set to open in Summer 2025, is equipped with the best possible technology to provide an optimal environment for intensive rehabilitation.
Staff and Patient Involvement
From the outset, staff at Linden Lodge have been heavily involved in shaping the digital trials to ensure the technologies meet their needs. Lisa Yates, Digital Strategy Lead at NUH, notes, “We’ve worked closely with staff through focus groups and workshops to get their input on how the technology would work best. This collaboration has allowed us to understand current processes and how digital solutions can enhance them.”
Innovative Technologies Under Trial
Among the technologies being tested are equipment tracking systems, AI-enhanced CCTV, and voice-activated environmental controls. These innovations are designed to enhance staff and patient safety and empowerment. Here’s how digital solutions are transforming the experience:
- Effortless Equipment Management: No more time wasted searching for wheelchairs or beds. Staff can easily locate everything through a mobile app, that was co-designed and developed with staff feedback, freeing up valuable time for patient care. Plus, an emergency panic button, which provides real time staff location, ensures immediate support when needed.
- Smarter Space Utilisation and resource management: The new system helps manage room occupancy and footfall, ensuring both comfort for patients and their visitors and optimal use of space for staff for therapeutic treatment.
- Safety Sensors and AI-Enhanced CCTV: Smart building sensors and video analytics are an additional feature to improve patient safety in cases of patient absconding. Linden Lodge is also looking at ways that these sensors can be used for patient aggression prediction and sentiment analysis to ensure staff and patient safety. “Many of our patients, due to cognitive impairments, often try to leave the building. Currently, we must assign a staff member to monitor them 24/7. With this technology, we can digitally prevent absconding risks while granting patients more independence.” said Sarah Davies, Linden Lodge Manager.
By putting patients at the centre, this innovative approach empowers both patients and staff for a smoother recovery journey:
- Empowered Staff: Technology frees up staff time, simplifies tasks, and provides data to enhance care delivery. A happy and efficient staff is the backbone of excellent patient care.
- Patient-Centred approach: The focus is on creating a safe, personalised environment that optimises recovery. Technology plays a key role in supporting patients on their journey to regain confidence and independence.
Jamie Clegg, Digital Strategy Lead at Nottingham University Hospitals said: “The National Rehabilitation Centre programme, including Linden Lodge, has allowed us to do a once in a generation strategic shift. For us it’s so important to create a working environment that makes the staff experience safer and simpler because ultimately our staff are our greatest asset.”
Declan Hadley, Healthcare Lead UK&I, Cisco: “Technology can play a critical role in enabling a path to driving the fundamental goal of healthcare professionals – enhanced patient care. For many years, Cisco’s innovative technologies have helped to bring more connected patient care and efficient workflows throughout healthcare organisations, hospitals and clinics.
“As we look to the future, AI in particular, has the potential to reimagine the healthcare industry, with new and exciting use cases emerging every day. We are really pleased to see some of these outcomes being showcased with NUH where AI is being proven to help healthcare professionals protect the most vulnerable patient.”
The Future of Rehabilitation
The trials are not just about implementing technology but about creating a foundation for future advancements in AI, robotics, and other emerging technologies.
The NHS and The Lister Alliance partnership showcases how technology can revolutionise healthcare. It’s a story of progress, patient and staff empowerment, and a future where technology becomes a seamless part of exceptional care.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare through technology.
About the National Rehabilitation Centre
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.
Find out more about the National Rehabilitation Centre: Home (nationalrehabilitationcentre.nhs.uk)