GOSH DRIVE features in new Government report on the future of technology in healthcare

A new unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been included in a pioneering national report into how innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to transform healthcare and patient outcomes.The new ‘state of the nation’ report launched by The Department of Health and Social Care, looks to the future of health and care and envisions what can be achieved when the vast potential of AI is unlocked.

It has featured GOSH’s new Digital Research, Informatics and Virtual Environments (DRIVE) Unit, a unique development of infrastructure and capability, which is due to be officially opened on 10 October.

Read 'Accelerating Artificial Intelligence in health and care' - from the AHSN Network website (GOSH DRIVE on p37)

The report, which is based on a survey conducted by NHS England and the Academic Health Science Network AI Initiative, underlines the potential for AI to contribute to improved care. It states new technologies harnessing the power of data present huge opportunities to transform healthcare and improve the quality of people’s lives.

It has used GOSH DRIVE as a good example of both a concept and a physical space dedicated to accelerating research and evaluation of new AI-enabled technology and data analysis dedicated to improving child health.

GOSH DRIVE is both an overarching organisational and governance structure and a physical unit which will bring together key experts working with data and digital technologies within the Trust, the wider NHS, academia and industry. It has an ambitious vision to improve outcomes and experiences for children by harnessing innovative technologies and rapidly embedding them in hospital practice and then in the wider NHS.

Professor Neil Sebire, Chief Research Information Officer for DRIVE, said: “We are delighted to have been included in this report. GOSH DRIVE is going to be vital in leading this new approach to using innovative technologies and adopting new agile working practices within GOSH and across the rest of the NHS.

“We are incredibly excited about the possibilities and practical outcomes DRIVE is going to responsible for – as a technology and digital hub, this unique facility will be central to developing, testing and realising new ideas and technologies that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice.”