A new short film showcases how Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is pioneering new technologies to improve treatment and care for patients.
Made by the independent production company Tell Studio, the five-minute feature is being premiered at UKREiiF, the UK real estate and infrastructure investment forum taking place this week.
LTHT Innovation short film
Innovation is one of my passions, and Leeds has always been at the forefront of medical breakthroughs. Sir Clifford Albert, for example, invented the clinical thermometer at a hospital here in Leeds. In the 1970s, Leeds was also home to the first application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Just across the road from Leeds General Infirmary, the first successful hip replacement was developed. This legacy of innovation is something we continue to build on today as we work to transform healthcare for the future.
The journey began with the announcement that two new hospitals would be built in Leeds, which spurred the need to prepare our staff for new technologies and ways of working. This vision has been the catalyst for the creation of the Innovation Pop-up at Leeds, which serves as a gateway to bring innovation and technology into the NHS. It’s a place where companies—whether they have established products or radical new ideas—can come to receive curated advice on how to bring their innovations into healthcare settings.
The Pop-up is open to everyone, from nurses and physiotherapists to doctors and administrators. It’s about getting the best care for our patients, and integrating new technologies safely and effectively into our healthcare system. Introducing any new technology requires a robust infrastructure and a dedicated team, including business development, regulatory experts, and clinical trial specialists. These resources help ensure that innovations are adopted smoothly and efficiently, which is why Leeds has become an excellent ecosystem for developing, deploying, and evaluating new healthcare technologies.
One of the projects we’re excited about involves post-surgery patients. We’re exploring whether a patient can use a headset to self-direct their own therapy. This type of innovation not only has the potential to improve patient outcomes now, but could also provide long-term benefits. For our physiotherapy team, it’s the first time we’ve been deeply involved in both the innovation and research aspects of healthcare, and seeing the positive impact on our patients is incredibly fulfilling.
Industry plays a crucial role in providing healthcare with access to these transformative tools. Our approach is open and collaborative with the private sector—adopting new technologies while also making them available to others. One example is the new digital scanners we’re using to capture highly detailed images of patients’ biopsies to help diagnose cancer. The technology allows us to create enormous digital images of tissue samples, sometimes as large as a tennis or squash court. This revolutionizes how we diagnose cancer and opens up new possibilities for treatment.
Another exciting project we’re involved in is scanning pathology slides from over 80 hospitals across the UK for the 100,000 Genomes Project. These images are being compiled into a massive resource to advance cancer research. By digitizing these slides, we are building an invaluable asset for future discoveries. As healthcare becomes more data-driven, the integration of digital technologies will lead to greater efficiencies and improved patient care.
To support this transformation, we need to equip our staff with the skills they need to succeed in a digital-first world. With 22,000 people in our workforce and some of the best universities right on our doorstep, our partnership with academia is critical in driving this change forward.
I am a huge advocate for innovation because it’s the catalyst for real progress. Once you foster a culture of innovation and encourage it across your teams, the possibilities are endless. The success of the Innovation Pop-up is just the beginning. In the future, it will evolve into an Innovation Center, and we’re even working toward turning the old medical school building into an Innovation Village. This would be a game-changer, offering a space for collaboration, experimentation, and the development of new healthcare solutions.
Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that patients, like those with brain tumors, receive rapid, safe treatment and return to their lives with the best possible quality of life. It’s through technology and innovation that we can make this happen. The work being done here is revolutionary, but it’s also an evolution of the technologies we’re already using. The clinicians at Leeds are constantly exploring new ways to improve care, and there’s a culture of innovation embedded in everything we do. It’s thrilling to think about the technologies we’re adopting now that will save lives and improve outcomes for patients.
The future of healthcare is already unfolding in Leeds, and it’s incredibly exciting to be part of it.
The film centres on the success of the Trust’s Innovation Pop Up, which was established in 2021 to provide a front door for innovators to collaborate with the NHS. It is an area where companies can connect and work collaboratively with the Trust’s clinicians and innovation team, to transform the latest advances in science, research, and technology into real-world solutions.
The film shows some of the health technologies that are being trialled and tested in the Trust’s hospitals to help enhance patient treatment and care. One of the projects featured is being led by BBC 2 Saving Lives in Leeds star and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Ryan Mathew. His immersive technology project investigates the use of virtual and mixed reality headsets in the education and rehabilitation of patients undergoing brain surgery – to speed up recovery and empower their journey.
Mr Ryan Mathew, Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Associate Professor at the University of Leeds, said: “Treating patients quickly and safely, before returning them home with a better quality of life is fundamentally what we want – and this is where technology has a critical role to play.”
Professor David Brettle, Chief Scientific Officer at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, commented: “This film helps to show the human side of health technology and how it can positively impact both staff and patients. Here in Leeds, we are working with companies to explore how new advances in technology and digital healthcare can help staff deliver better care, allow patients to make more informed decisions and open up new methods of treatment, which will ultimately save lives.”
The Innovation Pop Up is the first phase in establishing an Innovation Village at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and is proving to be valuable test bed for new innovations, technologies, and ways of working before they are implemented in the planned new hospitals at Leeds General Infirmary. It is part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme and commitment to build 40 hospitals before 2030.