Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.

News

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has secured £4.16m from Liverpool Combined Authority to support pioneering research into paediatric healthcare. Alder Hey’s Paediatric Open Innovation Zone will be at the forefront of developing, testing and deploying “life-changing” technologies designed to tackle some of the biggest health challenges faced by children and young people.

Finland-based digital health company Sooma Medical has received approval to begin a trial of its transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) medical device for depression. The “portable neuromodulation device”, which is worn as a cap, uses ​​mild electrical current to stimulate the brain. It’s believed that brain stimulation can help treat major depressive disorder, particularly in patients who don’t respond to antidepressants.

A health games studio in Finland is raising awareness about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the lifesaving potential of the HPV vaccine through the help of a new game. Psyon Games previously partnered with organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gavi and Unicef Finland on their title Antidote Covid-19, which became the only Covid-19-themed game approved by WHO, Apple and Google during the pandemic.

Scientists from Newcastle University say a new 3D bio-printer that produces human-like tissue could transform drug discovery for cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Called reactive jet impingement, the technology involves mixing cells suspended in a cross-linking solution with a polymer solution, resulting in a dense, cell-like substance that closely resembles human tissue. This provides a more accurate model for testing new drugs, the team said.

The NHS in Essex has partnered with students to develop interactive games that teach the public how healthcare budgets are managed. Players act as NHS decision-makers, allocating funds across services like hospitals and mental health while navigating real-world challenges like staff shortages and unexpected budget cuts. The initiative aims to improve public understanding of the tough decisions NHS leaders face.

Did you know?

Researchers from King’s College London have found that AI models analysing heart scans can identify a patient’s race with 95.9% accuracy, despite race having no medical relevance.

In a study, the team discovered that, rather than focusing on the heart itself, the AI relied on external features like subcutaneous fat and MRI artefacts. When researchers cropped the images to show only the heart, accuracy dropped to 55.4%, confirming the bias came from non-heart regions.

The team said their findings highlighted the need for better safeguards, including image cropping and more diverse training data, to make AI-driven medical imaging fairer.

What we’re reading

‘The future of primary care’, published by NHS Confederation on 26 February 2025, discusses how innovation in primary care can shift care closer to the home.

Aimed mainly at primary care and integrated care system leaders and policymakers within the Department for Health and Social Care, the report explores how models can evolve to focus on proactive, person-centred care driven by neighbourhood leadership and primary and community-care provisioning.

It cites research indicating that every pound invested in primary and community care yields approximately £14 in economic value, proving an economic case for investment as the government seeks to shift from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

On the role of digital in supporting these ambitions, the report states: “One potential solution is the growth in neighbourhood hubs, which enable co-location of services beyond health. These hubs, as with any infrastructure solution, must be supported by an increase in integrated, interoperable technology, essential for efficient, patient-centred care.

“[Primary care network] members agreed that a reformed approach to data sharing standards and investments in digital and technology infrastructure can unlock new efficiencies and support innovation, aligning with modern care delivery needs.”

Upcoming events

29–30 May, London — Digital Health World Congress