Addenbrooke's staff have been trying out the latest in mixed reality technology to see how it can be used to improve patient care, productivity and medical expertise.
WATCH: Ekpemi Irune talking about mixed reality technology
Link: https://youtu.be/d9Q1tnb-Lp4
The event included staff from across Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) from medical students, doctors and nurses to allied health professionals and education leads from CUH and the University of Cambridge.
Also taking part were tech representatives from Microsoft, VSI ApoQLar, Fracture Reality JoinXR, Proximie and Holomedicine Association.
It will supercharge the skills we have, it will help us build better relationships with our patients.
Ekpemi Irune, CUH surgeon
Ekpemi Irune led the day and is an ENT and thyroid surgeon at CUH. She said:
"Today has been about bringing a group of people across CUH, to come together to talk about using modern day technology to improve and optimise how we deliver clinical care and how we train and educate people.
"It would also allow the developed world to share its experience and its abilities with the developing world."
Ambika Chadha is a surgeon at CUH, specialising in cleft and lip palate. After trying out one of the mixed reality headsets for reviewing scans she said:
"It's mind-blowing! The 3D capability is incredible because you can look inside, expand, tilt and move around a scan or x-ray of a patient before you head in to surgery.
"Your patient could also use the technology to really understand what the issues are and the treatment they're having."
Today has been so exciting and also inspiring, seeing how technology is evolving and where it can help us improve medical training.
Sarah Champney, operating department practitioner at CUH
Sarah Champney is an operating department practitioner and trains and develops surgical theatre staff. She tried out a new mixed reality programme being developed by CUH involving a hologram patient. She said:
"You feel completely immersed once you put on the headset. This technology isn't just for doctors and nurses when they're treating patients, it's also for training the medics of the future."
Implementing the latest in digital technology can help support NHS priorities but must go hand in hand with improving patient care.
Charlotte Clay, NHS Digital Productivity
Charlotte Clay leading on benefits and research in the Digital Productivity Team at NHS England and Improvement. She said:
"The tech we're trying out today is already available and ready to use, the question is how can it empower and benefit both NHS patients and staff - and at the same time be safe to use, including issues like data protection.
"It's important therefore to build up evidence and evaluation for each project to make sure that this emerging technology can help the NHS to become more productive, while at the same time improving patient care."