Innovation in healthcare roundup: National Rehabilitation Centre, AJM Healthcare, Ohas, Zoom

The latest healthcare innovations, including Britain’s first national rehabilitation centre, healthcare updates from Zoom and cardiorespiratory health.

Zoom expands healthcare offerings

Communications platform Zoom has announced updates to its healthcare portfolio, introducing enhanced Zoom Clinical Notes and specialised AI coding capabilities designed to reduce administrative burdens for clinicians.

Integrated across Zoom Meetings, Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center, the upgraded software uses healthcare-specific automatic speech recognition trained on complex medical terminology and pharmaceuticals. It automatically generates structured draft clinical notes from in-person ambient visits, telephone consultations, and video telehealth appointments.

The platform features customisable clinical templates for primary care and behavioural health, multi-language support covering ten languages, and AI-assisted ICD-10 billing code suggestions to minimise manual administrative lookups. Furthermore, completed documentation can be shared directly into existing electronic health record systems via open APIs and browser extensions, or embedded within external healthcare applications using the new Clinical Notes API.

National Rehabilitation Centre opens to first patients 

The UK’s first NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) has opened on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough, funded by the government’s New Hospital Programme and operated by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

Built as the NHS’s first single-site operationally carbon-neutral facility, the £107 million specialist centre features 70 beds and is co-located alongside the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC). The facility houses what are the most comprehensive robotics suite in the NHS, the UK’s first 360-degree partial body weight support system (Zero G), and shared access to DMRC facilities including an advanced gait lab, hydrotherapy suite and the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) virtual reality facility.

The NRC hopes to transform specialised rehabilitation across the East Midlands and serve as a national clinical and research hub in collaboration with a consortium of 26 universities. Following a resolution of initial water quality issues by construction joint venture Integrated Health Projects (IHP) – comprising VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine – the centre has begun to accept patients to receive intensive, early-stage rehabilitation for life-changing illnesses and injuries.

“The difference the NRC will make to patients and families cannot be underestimated. We are standing on the precipice of something unique and groundbreaking,” said Anthony May, chief executive of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. 

AJM Healthcare launches new Dudley wheelchair service

National wheelchair service provider AJM Healthcare has launched an integrated wheelchair service in Dudley, operating under a contract awarded by the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Marking AJM’s 12th Integrated Care System partnership, the new facility serves a population of nearly 325,000 residents registered with Dudley GPs, encompassing over 66,500 adults aged 65 and over and approximately 58,000 children. The service provides a single point of access for clinical assessments, specialised wheelchair provision, postural seating, ongoing maintenance, repairs and proactive user reassessments.

The initiative aims to address high regional demand while supporting educational, social, and independent living needs to help prevent avoidable hospital admissions. The Dudley hub builds upon AJM’s established Midlands footprint, which includes its Birmingham-based postural seating and mobility equipment manufacturing subsidiary, Active Design.

“A wheelchair that fits a person’s needs is often what makes it possible for them to get to school or work, see friends and family and live independently. That is why our service is built around the whole person, not just their clinical referral,” said Mat Pickering, chief executive officer of AJM Healthcare. 

Ohas launches Westbourne Grove clinic 

Preventative health venture Ohas has launched a £1.5 million flagship clinic on Westbourne Grove in West London, scheduled to open in January next year.

Founded by health tech entrepreneur Richard Chambers – creator of Get A Drip – alongside NHS GP and former Numan head of medical Luke Pratsides, Ohas wants to bridge the gap between health screening and follow-up clinical treatment. The clinic’s main offering, the Ohas Health Scan, is priced at £295 and provides a 30-minute comprehensive assessment focused on cardiovascular, metabolic and nutritional health.

The assessment integrates a detailed medical history review, a 54-marker blood panel, vital signs tracking, a 3D body-mapping scan, body composition analysis measuring visceral fat and a FibroScan to detect early-stage fatty liver disease and inflammatory scarring. Results are reviewed during an in-person follow-up consultation with an Ohas physician.

“Conditions like Type 2 diabetes cost the NHS millions each year. Research shows that with early intervention, many of these conditions can be managed and often reversed,” said chief executive Richard Chambers. “Ohas is going to give people the opportunity to keep track of their baseline health and have confidence that they’re doing all they can to give themselves the best quality of life.”

Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital deploys da Vinci 5 system

Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital will use the da Vinci 5, introducing the latest generation of robotic-assisted surgical technology to Yorkshire to enhance complex urological, gynaecological and thoracic procedures.

Believed to be the first hospital in Leeds to install the da Vinci 5 platform, the system provides surgeons with 10x magnification, 3D high-definition visualisation and wristed instruments exceeding the range of motion of the human hand. For patients undergoing treatments for prostate cancer, endometriosis, hernia, and bariatric care, the technology allows for minimally invasive techniques associated with shorter hospital stays, reduced complication risks, and faster recovery.

The installation is part of Nuffield Health’s broader clinical investment program, with a second da Vinci 5 system slated for Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital. The Leeds facility serves both private and NHS patients under regional pathways.

“Our ambition is to provide the best care patients can receive anywhere, and that means continually investing in our people, facilities and technology,” said Alex Perry, chief executive of Nuffield Health. “Bringing the da Vinci 5 to Leeds is a great example of that commitment. As the latest generation of robotic-assisted surgical technology, it will help our teams deliver outstanding care for patients across the region.”

VentriJect expands international reach

Danish medical technology company VentriJect is expanding the deployment of its cardiorespiratory fitness device, bringing its at-rest VO2 max diagnostic technology to healthcare markets across Britain and the US.

Seismofit estimates patient VO2 max in under three minutes while the patient is completely at rest, using seismocardiography to record cardiac micro-vibrations and proprietary AI algorithms to analyse cardiorespiratory health. By eliminating the need for strenuous physical exertion – such as traditional cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) or step tests – the technology removes physical barriers to testing, making vital heart health metrics accessible to a broader patient demographic.

The technology is actively used across international healthcare markets, including Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the US, VentriJect’s footprint has recently expanded through partnerships with preventive health organisations like EHE Health. In the UK, the device is integrated into specialised health screenings at select private clinics such as Marylebone Health, Preventicum and HCA Healthcare, alongside localised implementation within select premier health screening pathways.

“With a growing international presence across the UK, US and Europe, more people will be able to access accurate VO2 max data, which together with doctor-led screening models, provides patients with meaningful insights into their cardiorespiratory fitness,” said VentriJect chief executive Mikkel Kristiansen. 

Boost expands lightweight breast prosthesis rollout 

Innovative breast prosthesis provider Boost has expanded its NHS footprint, with its lightweight, open-structured breast forms now available across 25 hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Founded by Sam Jackman following her experience as an NHS Innovation Fellow, Boost was developed as an alternative to traditional external prostheses worn after breast cancer surgery. Featuring a lightweight, breathable and open-structured design, the product aims to enhance physical comfort and provide patients with greater choice in their post-surgery care.

Initial distribution presented communication hurdles with medical trusts, but participation in the NHS Innovation Accelerator programme and collaboration with Health Innovation Networks enabled the startup to scale its NHS adoption. The company provides specialised training and onboarding support for hospital breast care teams to ensure clinical familiarity, with plans for further national expansion over the next two years.

“It’s wonderful to think that there are now 25 hospitals that are offering patients the option of a Boost via the NHS,” said Jackman. “Having Boost available on the NHS has given patients a choice they didn’t previously have.”

Emergency clinicians at Royal Surrey gain direct access to GP consultation records

Integrated access to GP consultation notes has been rolled out to emergency clinicians at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust via the Thames Valley and Surrey (TVS) Care Record.

Developed by Graphnet Health, the TVS Care Record consolidates primary care data, external hospital correspondence, diagnostic results and ReSPECT end-of-life care plans into a single interface. Emergency department staff access the shared platform via a single sign-on integration directly within the hospital’s Oracle Cerner Millennium electronic patient record. The system allows clinicians to view detailed GP Encounters and consultation histories in real time, eliminating reliance on paper referral letters or limited discharge summaries.

Between March last year and February this year, an average of 1,685 monthly users accessed the system across Royal Surrey acute services. The Trust migrated onto the consolidated TVS Care Record platform in March last year, expanding on Surrey’s earlier shared care record infrastructure.

“The GP Encounters element has been a game changer,” said Will Niven, emergency physician and chief of service at Royal Surrey. “Being able to see exactly what the GP has said, rather than relying on paper referrals or limited summaries, has made a huge difference in the emergency department… Having access to a patient’s wider context helps clinicians make better decisions.”