Serving 5 million people across 14 boards, National Health Service Scotland is by far the country’s largest establishment. Keeping operations running smoothly in such a huge organisation has become a constant struggle between budgetary concerns, health inequalities, not to mention recent cyber-attacks. As a result, NHS Scotland is looking to maximise the facilities it has, by investigating sensor technology.

Working alongside the NHS, an Edinburgh-based firm is hoping to inspire an ‘Internet of Things revolution’ in the organisation through sensor technology, which it claims could save the NHS millions of pounds.

IoT sensor company Beringar, working with CENSIS – the Scottish Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems – claims to have developed specialised sensor tech which it will use to measure the vitals of the NHS’ ‘assets’. By measuring data including the number of people in a room and building occupancy levels, insight can be gained into the way patients and staff use buildings, enabling the NHS to use its 500 million sq. ft. of UK-wide space more effectively and efficiently.

Mark Sorsa-Leslie, Co-Founder of Beringar, explained the potential of the sensors to The Herald. Sorsa-Leslie said: “The NHS spends around a quarter of its budget every year on the provision and management of its buildings, but many rooms and equipment aren’t used to their full potential. When NHS health planners want to commission a new service, but can’t see available space in their existing facilities, they might consider leasing or building a new property.”

The tech was recently trialled at the Loxford Health Centre in Ilford, Essex. Over the course of a month, over 160,000 data points were collected and identified empty space which was thought to have been in regular use.

Sorsa-Leslie continued: “Having the right data could reveal suitable space they already own in that location, saving a significant amount of money, which could be used to improve direct patient care.

“It has been said that in 10 years’ time, London will have expanded the equivalent of the city of Birmingham, and already, London’s population grows at twice the rate of the UK as a whole. Having access to data like this will be extremely important for the health service, as it responds to ever-growing demand.”

Carolyn Botfield, Estates Director at NHS England, emphasised the importance of the NHS playing to its strengths. Botfield said: “Clinics are often block-booked, but we have no way of finding out if just a few people, or twenty patients, are attending every week. The sensor will allow us to achieve real-time feedback on how our buildings are being used, enabling us to make smarter decisions.”

Beringar is one of seven companies on the CENSIS IoT Explorer initiative, which offers Scottish companies support to accelerate IoT products to market and ongoing company growth.