Published on: 4 July 2023
The National Health Service turns 75 on Wednesday (July 5), and the NHS in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are marking this milestone by looking at the future.
That’s why we are pleased to share the news that our Digital Innovation Hub has been at the forefront of bringing virtual reality (VR) technology to our wards. After a successful trial, that saw improved outcomes for both patients and staff during medical procedures, an agreement has been reached to purchase VR Headsets for use on a permanent basis.
The Background
The ‘Co Lab’ Digital Innovation Hub is the first of its kind in the UK, as it’s based in a hospital setting. Housed at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Center- It’s a space where all staff across the two counties can come and discover how new technologies can improve health outcomes for patients.
The Hub reached out to a company that specialises in health-based virtual reality technologies. They create VR headsets that provide soothing and relaxing sounds and visuals for people about to undertake medical procedures, with the expressed purpose of deescalating stress and anxiety.
After gaining expressions of interest from local NHS training teams, and procuring a free trial of the equipment, the Co Lab Hub was able to initiate a short-term pilot scheme.
The pilot immediately saw a successful clinical deployment, as Dawn Forbes, a Children & Young People Oncology Nurse Specialist, explains:
“I had a patient who had just been told she has a potential malignancy, and we needed to insert a cannula for blood sampling and for her MRI. As you can imagine, It was an upsetting time for the child and parents. Add to this, the child was also ‘needle phobic’. But, the VR device was used, and the doctor was able to quickly place a cannula without causing any pain or distress.”
“It was simply amazing to observe. This ended up being an extremely positive experience for the patient, her parents, and for the staff. This is particularly important for a young person who could be about to start a cancer journey which comes with so many potentially distressing procedures in the future.”
It’s not just the patients that benefit from this immersive VR technology. The staff do, too. As with the with the story of the young girl above, there was no need to use sedation to have a cannula fitted, which could have meant a hospital stay of hours rather than minutes. It has allowed for clinicians to see more patients and carry out more procedures, reducing waiting times in the process.
This successful pilot in Kidderminster has resulted in an agreement to purchase 4 VR headset for use in Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust sites, funded by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity.
It’s just one of many examples of how innovation and new technologies are providing positive outcomes for patients and staff across the two counties.
You can visit the Co Lab Hub’s webpage here:
