MORE than 150 specialists from across professional practice, academia and business, took part in a ‘Transforming Healthcare Through Innovation’ event, to mark the start of a formal partnership between Bournemouth University and Dorset’s Integrated Care System (ICS).

The ICS is a partnership of all NHS and local authorities in the county. As well as hearing from key speakers involved in Dorset health care, the event featured practical examples of how technology is being used to innovate.

Tim Goodson, Chief Officer at NHS Dorset CCG, said: “This partnership will support and strengthen our efforts to improve health care delivery. The event has underlined the steps we are already taking to innovate, from smartphone technology allowing health care professionals to assess patients at home or triage them on arrival in urgent care, to co-designed self-management apps for long term conditions and emerging technologies to diagnose and manage lower back pain. I look forward to working closely with Bournemouth University and seeing the benefits it brings to patient care, now and in the future.”

Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bournemouth University said: “Medical science is a strategic investment area within BU2025, which is the university’s vision and strategic plan that was launched last year. This partnership is an opportunity to think differently and find innovative solutions to regional health challenges that can also inform and lead national and international thinking within medical care and medical science.”

Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard technologies used to train healthcare workers and students in how to monitor and treat patients through virtual reality were demonstrated at the launch. Delegates were also able to experience the use of virtual reality technology in orthopaedic operations and see the latest walk-through design of the Living Lab Science Park.

Alongside research areas like assistive technology, new courses are being offered at Bournemouth University in areas like medical science and bio-medical science and a brand new building is currently being built at the university’s Lansdowne Campus, to be the home of the Health and Social Sciences Faculty from September 2020.