A Cambridge-based centre for training future healthcare professionals has doubled in capacity to become one of the most technically advanced in the country. Officially unveiled today, the Cambridge Digital Health and Surgical Training Centre now has an additional floor supporting immersive tuition using extended reality and Artificial Intelligence.
The expansion compliments the state-of-the art surgical training facilities on the ground floor including mobile consoles of stacked clinical equipment, X-ray machines and other advanced apparatus supporting additional immersive, hands-on training.
It was officially opened by Dame Mary Archer, co-chair of the Cambridge Children’s Hospital Fundraising Campaign, president of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and former hospital Trust chair. Following speeches from Dame Mary and Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, attendees were invited to test out some of the high-tech training equipment.
The centre, run by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, now covers 12,000 sq ft on the Quorum site off Barnwell Road.
The addition of the new floors widens the centre’s application to all sectors of the healthcare workforce including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and non-clinical staff.
The centrepiece is an Extended Reality Suite which can digitally immerse delegates to the Centre into almost any environment using the 360-degree video, virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive three-dimensional imagery.
Green screens can be overlayed with pre-scanned images to allow immersion into various healthcare environments and live and pre-recorded scenarios can be streamed worldwide.
Aided by special headsets, delegates could find themselves working in anything from a busy hospital emergency department, GP hub, or dental surgery – and dealing with the various scenarios, crises, complications, emotions, and questions that emerge.
A delegate could remove and replace organs and muscle structures from a virtual body – giving a unique three-dimensional insight into anatomy – or overlay anatomy over manakins for a more realistic learning experience. Video content from evolving scenarios can be shared to neighbouring seminar rooms and trainees, while others could join remotely from anywhere in the world.
The centre will help train those from Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals, and the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital and Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital when they open. It will also be available to health professionals from across the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world.
The opening follows December’s launch of pioneering tuition in a fast-growing area of healthcare – robot assisted surgery. The Shelford Surgical Training in Advanced Robotic Technology Programme (START) is an opportunity for surgical resident doctors and nurses to develop skills, across the Intuitive da Vinci, CMR Surgical Versius and Medtronic Hugo™ RAS systems.
The applications for those working in the commercial world are equally exciting – as the technology offers new possibilities for businesses of different sizes and in any sector to take traditional training courses like team building, leadership and innovation, to the next level.
By inviting colleagues, customers and consumers to explore proposed spaces or products virtually, organisations can foster meaningful conversations and collect valuable feedback to guide ongoing development.
The director of the new centre, Dr Arun Gupta, who is also a CUH consultant in anaesthesia, neurosciences and trauma intensive care, said:
We are delighted and very proud to open our newly equipped additional floor, which together with the existing facilities on the ground floor, makes it the most technically advanced centre in the country. We would like to thank Dame Mary Archer for carrying out the official opening today and Health Education England for contributing to a training facility that will serve CUH and many others for years to come.
Dr Arun Gupta