NHS England visits UCL Computer Science for students’ presentations

UCL students worked on proofs of concept addressing healthcare challenges for their MSc Computer Science courses. They then demoed these ideas to Directors of NHS England in a showcase in August.

UCL Computer Science and healthcare have been closely allied since 2011. In 2019, UCL launched the Industry Exchange Network for the NHS (IXN for the NHS), and UCL students have since partnered with hundreds of hospitals, trusts, charities and health companies. Over 500 project abstracts from the programme have now been published in a book.

Dr Tim Ferris, National Director of Transformation and Dr Melanie Iles, Interim Chief Clinical Information Officer at NHS England visited UCL. Steve Hailes, Head of Department, gave a welcome speech and eight teams of students presented their prototypes. These prototypes were responses to problem scenarios provided by NHS staff.

Two teams showed how the Microsoft Power Apps Platform could automate processes and connect systems, saving time and increasing efficiency. The Microsoft Power Apps Platform enables clinical teams to build applications quickly using their own data.

Other teams focused on tools to aid data visualisation and make collaboration easier between clinicians. Students demonstrated how UCL’s Open-IllumiRoom V2 could present datasets from across a hospital together in one place. The innovative projection software means there’s no need for several monitors or screens, and valuable insights can be seen at a glance. A new iteration of UCL HoloRepository, software which renders CT and MRI scans as holograms, allows clinical staff to discuss and annotate these 3D models over Microsoft Teams.

Some concepts sought to directly improve patients' lives by increasing accessibility for those with limiting conditions. There was a new version of UCL MotionInput, UCL’s touchless computing software, which had been enhanced to recognise facial movements, eye gaze and speech. Another demo used UCL and University of Illinois Dysarthric Speech, supported by IBM. This application showed how people with unclear and slurred speech could be understood more easily. 

NHS England enthused about the projects and were keen to develop the ideas beyond the proof-of-concept stage, to take them onto the healthcare frontline.

Dr Tim Ferris said seeing what students were capable of with access to the right mentorship, industry and NHS partners gave him hope for the future.

Dr Melanie Iles said: “This was a really inspiring morning. It would be great to have these UCL students plugged into our innovation ecosystem and have them consider the NHS as a good place to work when they graduate. Digital transformation is the future of the NHS, and IXN for the NHS can help us drive vital R&D. I urge NHS staff to get involved.” 

Dr Julia Manning, Digital Health Lead, IXN for the NHS, said: “IXN for the NHS is a fantastic opportunity for clinicians to submit their proposals and have their ideas turned into a working prototype and to see software development in progress. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for students to apply their skills to a genuine problem and make a difference to the NHS.” 

Dr Atia Rafiq, co-founder of IXN for the NHS, NHS GP, GP trainer, and lecturer, added: “There are so many amazingly talented people working in our NHS who may have ideas they don't know how to carry forward. The invitation to join the programme is open to any NHS clinicians and healthtech groups. The problem may be large or small; we can explore novel approaches to finding a solution and provide opportunities to develop concepts at a rapid pace.”