These included ‘Organox’, which has developed a means of better preserving livers for transplant, with its transportation machine simulating the activities of the human body; Drayson Technologies, which has developed a range of products and services using artificial intelligence, including ‘SEND’, an evidence-based, digital charting system for vital-signs observations in hospitals; and ‘Brainomix’, whose technology aids medics in interpreting brain scans of patients who have suffered from strokes. Anneliese and Jonathan also met with the Chief Operating Officer of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network.

As well as being provided with demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies that have been developed in Oxford, Anneliese and Jonathan discussed what government could do to better support innovation in the NHS and beyond. This included considering how to fill skill and talent gaps, including in high-cost areas like Oxford; how to better empower NHS staff so they can create and carry forward innovation; how to ensure that the benefits from patients’ data accrue to patients and the NHS; and how to improve budgeting, so that technologies which help patients and save money in the long-run can be funded in the short-run.

Anneliese said: “Oxford has a unique breadth and depth of academic health sciences and incredible potential for developing the health technologies of the future. Too often we see exciting new technologies invented here in Oxford which then shift to the US or China for development and roll-out to be used by real patients. It was great to take Jonathan Ashworth to learn from local experts about what needs to change, so we can make proper use of these technologies in our NHS”.