During the pandemic, NHS workers have accessed training through augmented, virtual and mixed reality technology to educate themselves on essential areas, such as how to safely apply and remove PPE, to treat patients with COVID-19.

Following approval by Health Education England, Virti stepped in to deliver remote educational programmes, via a virtual reality headset, smart device or desktop, to NHS employees due to the limited face-to-face training being provided. The training was accessed by clinicians from all over the country, with thousands of training sessions recorded.

“Virti's technology has been training NHS workers during the pandemic.“

The interactive software, which uses augmented reality to recreate hospital settings, has also trained clinicians on how to engage with patients and their families, as well as how to navigate an unknown intensive care ward.

West Suffolk Hospital clinical skills and simulation tutor, Tom Woollard, stated: "We've been using Virti's technology in our intensive care unit to help train staff who have been drafted in to deal with COVID-19 demand. The videos which we have created and uploaded are being accessed on the Virti platform by nursing staff, physiotherapists and Operational Department Practitioners to orient them in the new environment and reduce their anxiety. The tech has helped us to reach a large audience and deliver formerly labour-intensive training and teaching which is now impossible with social distancing. In the future, West Suffolk will consider applying Virti tech to other areas of hospital practice."

Dr Alexander Young, Virti CEO and founder, stated: “Virti’s mission is to deliver fast and effective training at scale. Over the last few months, we wanted to ensure as many NHS clinicians as possible could access our healthcare training tools. The pandemic meant that lots of new clinicians were being onboarded, key personnel were changing roles and new medical environments were being created. At the same time, very limited face-to-face training could be carried out. Having already worked extensively with healthcare organisations and medical schools designing their training models, we knew Virti was in a position to help during this crisis. By providing the most advanced data and tech-driven training to NHS frontline staff, we are helping to ensure that patients receive the highest possible standard of care, whilst simultaneously prioritising the safety of our essential healthcare workers. It’s an honour to be playing a small role in equipping our frontline NHS staff with the skills needed to fight this virus.”