Hexarad and Newton’s Tree partner to expand radiology AI access

Radiology technology firm Hexarad and AI startup Newton’s Tree have formed a strategic partnership with the aim of transforming how NHS radiology departments access technology.

The collaboration, which began in September 2024, combines Hexarad’s tech-enabled teleradiology and proprietary software platform with Newton’s Tree’s vendor-neutral AI platform to reduce radiology departments’ reliance on manual processes and enable them to trial, adopt and evaluate AI tools more easily.

Hexarad’s platforms are already used in NHS organisations across the UK, including North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust , as well as in hospitals and imaging centres in Ireland, and Saudi Arabia.

In August 2024, the firm announced that it secured £11.2 million in growth funding with reinvestment from existing shareholders, which will be used to continue the company’s international growth.

Dr Farzana Rahman, chief executive at Hexarad, said: “We want to provide radiology departments with a comprehensive solution that addresses the most important problems they face.

“Our partnership with Newton’s Tree will mean that through one integration, hospitals will have access to teleradiology, workflow software and a suite of AI tools.

“We know that NHS staff are stretched and having to scour the market for multiple different solutions isn’t practical. We want to give radiology departments more power to futureproof themselves with state-of-the-art tools and technologies that are adaptable to future advancements.

“The clinical benefits of these technologies are potentially huge, but the combined Hexarad Newton’s Tree platform will give clinicians the power to safely use and evaluate them for themselves and really see what works best”.

The integrated platform combining the two companies is intended to help radiology departments manage and reduce reporting backlogs, ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment for patients.

The Newton’s Tree platform acts as the AI interoperability layer in a hospital, enabling providers to download applications with all the contracting and deployment built in.

This allows clinical staff to evaluate and implement AI tools more quickly and easily, whilst ensuring that they are safe and effective and without adding to the hospital IT admin burden.

When combined with Hexarad’s workflow management platform, clinicians will have access to a monitoring dashboard to track the efficiency or cost-saving effects AI tools are having on their radiology department.

Haris Shuaib, chief executive of  Newton’s Tree and consultant clinical scientist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to partner with Hexarad, whose deep radiology expertise and trusted presence in NHS hospitals make them an ideal partner.

“By integrating our platform with Hexarad’s teleradiology and workflow management systems, we want to make it easier for NHS trusts to comprehensively evaluate and confidently adopt AI tools.

“This collaboration is an exciting opportunity to empower clinicians and accelerate AI adoption”.

In July 2024, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust partnered with Newton’s Tree to deploy its platform across the trust, allowing it to procure, integrate and monitor third part AI algorithms.