Projects

The GEMINI (Grampian’s Evaluation of Mia in an Innovative National breast screening Initiative) project being led by the North of Scotland Innovation Fellow, Dr. Gerald Lip aims to evaluate the impact of introducing AI into the national breast screening programme. GEMINI brings all of the strands of research, software, tech industry and the patients’ healthcare outcomes together.  

NHS Grampian are assessing how best to use 'Mia’, or Mammography intelligent assessment, the AI software created by Kheiron Medical Technologies Ltd, in a live clinical setting. Mia utilises deep learning techniques to automatically analyse digital mammography images in the breast screening workflow. Early indications show that this type of technology has huge potential for detecting cancers that may otherwise be missed

The CAELUS drone project brings together a wide range of partners with the shared aim of using drones to support healthcare in Scotland. With a consortium including staff from NHS Grampian, the project looks to develop the UK’s first national distribution network to transport essential medicines, blood, organs and other medical supplies throughout Scotland, using drones. Read more about the project here.

NHS Tayside Innovation hosted a Test Bed for the development of innovative reusable PPE and for the assessment and evaluation of environmental decontamination technologies. The SBRI was created in response to the challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the successful completion of the SBRI, support was secured for further development of PPE prototypes through collaboration with national organisations; Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection and Health Facilities Scotland.   This collaboration aims to confirm agreement on national guidelines for the decontamination of reusable PPE.  This would pave the way for these innovative products to progress to procurement and adoption within healthcare settings.  

The GRACE (Grampian’s Radiology Assisted Chest x-ray Evaluation) project sees an innovative prioritisation and decision support tool, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), being evaluated in radiology departments, emergency departments and acute medical assessment units across NHS Grampian. Read more about the project here.

To understand what potential impact this technology could have across the organisation, NHS Grampian rolled out Annalise CXR to a number of clinical areas to assess how the solution would perform as a decision support tool for non-specialised clinicians during out of hours, as an educational tool for junior doctors and most importantly what impact this type of AI driven solution could have on the Lung Cancer Pathway.

NHS Tayside Dermatology has pioneered teledermatology over the past 25 years in Scotland. Working with multiple industry, academic and third sector parties the NHS Tayside Skin AI group, led by Professor Colin Fleming, has; developed AI algorithms based on real world conditions; led UK standardisation of capture, transfer, and storage of real world skin images in DICOM format; development of Community Locality Image Centres; developed a nationally-agreed minimum dataset; co-created a dermatology-specific mobile AI ready app, which is generating data currently used in a national AI SBRI challenge; co-created the NHS Scotland AI skin cancer consortium.

The group aims to introduce robust, rigorously tested AI into the NHS, with the broader aim of improving the market for skin AI through encouragement of standardisation and transparency of AI performance.

The IT4 Anxiety project was part of a collaboration of 23 partners across the North West Europe INTERREG programme area. It focused on the creation and implementation of innovative solutions, using digital technology, designed to support people experiencing anxiety particularly those supported by mental health services.  The solutions were co-created and designed with service users, families/carers and mental healthcare professionals via partner surveys, focus groups and solution hackathons including a NHS Western Isles led hackathon at the Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health in Moray.  NHS Western Isles led solutions support for: Kindspace Alexa Skill for social support, Eldom photoluminescent night comfort signage for care homes and VR-Hive mindfulness virtual reality programme. Read more about the project here.

A project to develop a mental wellbeing Chatbot and trial in four Northern Periphery and Arctic countries/languages (English, Swedish, Finnish and Scots Gaelic), increasing citizen access to psychotherapeutic support.  The project followed a co-design approach in each country via a mental health professionals survey, stakeholder focus groups, co-design workshops and user trials to create a mental wellbeing Chatbot available via Google/Apple stores in each language.  Read more about the project here.

A programme to develop a new virtual centre for Creative Ageing for island communities as part of the Islands Growth Deal.  This is a unique partnership of creative sector organisations and NHS led by NHS Western Isles and An Lanntair arts centre with partners in Shetland and Orkney islands.  A programme of older arts support for wellbeing benefits will be established, alongside an innovation test bed across the islands for creative ageing solutions including those which are technology based.  This will run from 2024-27 initially based in the Outer Hebrides with input to solutions testing and wellbeing outreach across the island groups. Read more about the project here.

NHS Highland project to simplify how we detect colon cancer via an AI-assisted pathway.  Externally validate AIA (Artificial Intelligence based Algorithms) for future implementation of large-scale routine diagnostics in picture analysis.  Develop flexible, secure system for data storage and handling, ensuring fast, effective diagnostics.  Develop complete patient pathway that enables high-quality diagnostics, which considers patient preferences, ethical and economic considerations.  Promote integration of AIA into clinical practice by producing European guidelines and upscaling through attractive, sustainable business cases.  AICE will use an unprecedented large, diverse collection of existing patient data from nation-wide clinical studies including extensive initiatives in ethics, communication, and patient engagement.

NHS Highland are working with a company called IF, that has developed a device (IF Water One) that would enable on-site production of sterile water. The device is currently able to produce Grade 2 type sterile water and, with double distillation or further development, should be able to produce Grade 3 sterile water. This will be carried out through a 3-stage testing process. Stage 1 – On-site functionality testing of the machine without water testing or use. Stage 2 – On-site water testing without usage. Stage 3 – Live on-site with water testing and usage.

NHS Highland project looking at pre-cleaning of surgical instruments. Initially starting in December 2018, the project went through 3 phases and finally completed in May 2023.  During the project, the company Tiny Air developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ready for market. The machine has been tested at Cowlairs Central Decontamination Unit (Glasgow) and showed positive results with a very significant reduction in rewash rates.  The machine has been tested at Raigmore Central Decontamination Unit and will be tested at surgery theatre in the National Treatment Centre within the next few months.