As post Brexit NHS staffing fears grow, and sickness absenteeism in the NHS continues to challenge, innovation is taking the strain
Healthcare is set to become the next industry to take part in an innovation race, according to Cassini Health.
As fears rise that the immigrant worker population in the NHS may fall following the Brexit referendum, and as figures announced by the Government (24/8/16) indicate continued pressure from absenteeism through sickness in the NHS, the team at Cassini have developed a new system that will help automate the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals, leading to the prospect of replacing some human intervention in the NHS with innovative technology.
The project, named GHAIA, is headed by Mr Phil Hall, a leading figure in artificial intelligence (AI).
Mr Hall said: “We have already been receiving great feedback for the project, and it has real potential to improve efficiency and patient care in the healthcare industry.
“Estimates currently show that reducing the length of stay in an NHS hospital for one condition in one Trust amounts to a saving of around £8million, so the need for this type of innovation is real.”
By augmenting the communication between patients and healthcare professionals, GHAIA aims to use data gleaned from healthcare professionals and the wider community to deliver advice and monitor the health of its users.
Mr Hall added: “This technology could possibly be used to create a memory bank of voice recordings and photos for Alzheimer’s sufferers, as well as creating diet plans for diabetics and alerting emergency services when needed.
“While budgets in healthcare are always being squeezed, this software could help the industry become more efficient, and that has got to be good for both patients and healthcare professionals.”
The team were inspired by conditions that were close to home, focusing on wounds as part of a diabetes case, for dementia, and also for multiple sclerosis.
Mr Hall said: “We used these case studies because they have personal connections, but also because many of the people living with these chronic conditions are self-managing their illness 99 per cent of the time after proper medical consultation has been sought.”
It is planned that a beta version of GHAIA will be released later this year.
The intention is to release it through a Git hub channel, which will mean that developers will be free to play around with the platform to improve it.
Notes to Editor:
• For Media comment and interviews contact Ashley Daffin on 07780432790, or email ashley.daffin@cassiniglobalhealth.com
• For more information about Cassini Health visit www.cassiniglobalhealth.com
• Data on NHS Absenteeism is available at http://www.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21491