An innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology project at Frimley Health is in the running for a prestigious HSJ Digital Award. 

Digital assistant ‘Dora’ has been making surgical follow-up calls to cataract patients, successfully tackling a growing backlog. Usually a nurse-led call, having the AI system handle the routine clinical conversation to phone and assess patients after their operation has freed up hundreds of hours of nursing time within the Trust’s eye department. 

With more than 300 entries received for this year’s Digital Awards, the Frimley Health project stood out as a real success story worthy of a place on the panel’s shortlist. 

As well as improving efficiency, patient feedback regarding Dora has been very positive. 

“Patients love it. We’ve had one who wanted to take Dora to dinner, while another wrote a poem for her,” said Dr Lorraine North, head of ophthalmology strategy. She added that Dora makes recommendations, not decisions, and that her work is checked by human clinicians. “There will always be a human element, as we have to maintain oversight.” 

The Trust handles a high volume of cataract surgery, with 5,000 procedures carried out a year. Routine cataract patients receive a telephone follow-up call, to assess the procedure and determine if the patient needs to be seen again at the hospital, or if they could be discharged to an optician. 

Pressure on resources, already stretched from the backlog created by the pandemic, meant the call was slipping from within two weeks to 10 weeks. A month after launching Dora, developed by Oxford-based tech company Ufonia, the surgery-to-call time was back to just two weeks, with the backlog of calls cleared. The AI system – named after Metrodora, thought to be the first female physician to write down the spoken tradition of medicine – has made more than 2,100 surgical follow-up calls to patients since the project began in December 2022. 

“Using Dora has allowed our stretched nursing workforce to reallocate time to valuable face-to face clinics. We have been able to expand our cataract pre-op assessment clinics to Wexham Park Hospital for the first time,” said Tom Poole, consultant ophthalmologist at Frimley Health. “I really like the fact that we have not only saved nursing time, but patients are getting information and contact from us at a time that suits them best. Dora can call dozens of patients all at 9am on Monday morning, if that’s what people need. 

“It’s fantastic to be shortlisted for such a high-profile glittery awards ceremony in Manchester in June,” he added. “I’m looking forward to dusting down my black tie and having a celebration with the team, who have worked so hard on the project. We would love to win, not only for the accolade itself, but to give our work a wider profile, as there is no doubt that other organisations could benefit.” 

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Manchester on 6 June. 

Pictured above: Matron at the eye treatment centre Zoe Freeman, head of ophthalmology strategy Dr Lorraine North, consultant ophthalmologist Tom Poole, and patient pathway co-ordinator Janette Robinson