New medical bot trialled in university hospital

An NHS helper bot is being trailed in a university hospital in Milton Keynes to help relieve pressures on healthcare workers. 

The penguin-shaped robot, given the name Milton by staff, first began learning to navigate the hospital in November last year and this year will begin trials to deliver medicines to hospital staff.

Chief Executive at MKUH, Professor Joe Harrison, said: ‘Across the hospital, our Pharmacy team does an incredible job to ensure that our patients receive the medication they need to return home in a timely manner. We are working with the Academy of Robotics team to introduce new technology that can work alongside our existing workforce to facilitate faster delivery and take some of the pressure off our teams. 

‘This trial is an opportunity to test the safety and efficacy of this technology and we will continue to work closely with all teams involved to understand how it can be most effectively utilised in the future.’ 

MKUH’s partnership with the tech company began in early 2022 and will be used to explore how the technology could be scaled up across the hospital and possible the NHS as a whole. 

The hospital says that ‘Milton’ would be used to support the in-patient pharmacy staff by alleviating the time spent bringing medication to different wards on some of the longest routes in the building. 

Staff from across the hospital were involved in the design of the helper bot and engaged in workshops and ‘online engagements’ before selecting the final look used by Academy of Robotics. 

Before taking on the NHS trial, the company was best-known for being one of the first to bring self-driving vehicles to UK roads with the autonomous ‘Kar-go’ and has previously developed technology to support organisations across the public sector. 

Founder and CEO William Sachiti said: ‘These Helper Bots are there to try and make life that little bit easier for both hospital staff and patients: to be there when needed and out of the way when they are not. 

‘It is our hope that this technology will offer a positive experience for all and we’ll continue to test and improve both the technology and experience it creates as we scale up the programme.’ 

In addition to the helper bot being trialed in Milton Keynes, Cera, Europes largest digital-first healthcare-at-home company, has recently launched an app with is helping to reduce hospital admissions and taking pressure off the NHS. 

Photo by Possessed Photography