Nottingham University Hospitals NHS (NUH) Trust is trialing equipment tracking, artificially intelligent CCTV, and voice-activated environmental controls at Linden Lodge unit at City Hospital.
The digital trials are underway to support plans to create a national centre of excellence for rehabilitation.
Linden Lodge is a 25-bed unit for patients requiring neuro-rehabilitation and 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.
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.
The new £105m National Rehabilitation Centre is due to open in summer 2025
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.
Davies 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,” Davies added.
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 to support patient independence.
- Intelligent patient terminals that 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.
The artificial intelligence-enhanced CCTV which includes digital tripwires, has been an important addition in keeping patients safe
Declan Hadley, Healthcare Lead for Cisco UK & Ireland, said: “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,” Hadley added.
“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,” Hadley concluded.
The National Rehabilitation Centre
The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is a £105m programme that will create a 70-bed, purpose-built, and highly energy-efficient new facility, due to open in summer 2025.
The specialist NHS facility will be built on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough
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.
As well as patient care, the NRC aims to be a hub for innovation, cutting-edge research and development, training and education and has partnered with two universities- 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.
Top image: Technology part of the trial
