AI assistant Dora eases NHS pressure for cataract surgeries
Mr Konstantopoulos is a consultant ophthalmologist at the university, as well as ophthalmology clinical lead for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight.He said Hampshire and Isle of Wight hospitals had made "massive strides" in reducing waits for cataract surgery."Dora has enabled this by allowing us to develop a single point of access for referrals, reducing the burden of administrative processes and providing clear options to patients," he said.Data from the NHS shows around 15,000 patients undergo cataract surgery in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight every year.A patient survey carried out by the NHS from July to December in 2024 showed 92% of the 310 patients asked were "extremely satisfied" with their experience using Dora.Mr Konstantopoulos said: "Using Dora has also allowed us to free-up time for our nursing teams to concentrate on more surgical work, while Dora makes the phone calls and completes the administration duty."We have had some great feedback from patients who have said that Dora is very clear and easy to understand. "She also engages and interacts with patients and can understand what they are saying and asking."
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'I thought my snoring was from blocked nose, but it was something far worse'
Cornwall mum-of-two Claire Barbery was left in shock after what she thought was a blocked nose and snoring turned out to be something much more serious A mum-of-two was left stunned after what she thought was a harmless blocked nose and new snoring habit turned out to be a sign of a rare and aggressive cancer, which was already eroding her skull. Claire Barbery, 51, from Newquay, Cornwall, had no idea her mild symptoms were anything to worry about. In fact, she nearly cancelled the very hospital appointment that would change, and possibly save, her life. Claire, who works in a care home, put her persistent nasal blockage down to repeated Covid tests and thought nothing of the fact that she had suddenly started snoring at night. She said: 'I started snoring, which I'd never done before. I was waking up breathing through my mouth. Even then, I nearly cancelled my hospital appointment. I didn't want to waste anyone's time.' But in January 2023, after months of no improvement and with her concerns growing, she finally sought help. The mum had olfactory neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that grows in the upper part of the nasal cavity. Scans revealed a 5cm tumour that had already begun eating away at the bone at the base of her skull. Claire was immediately sent for complex and high-risk surgery at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where consultant surgeon Shahz Ahmed, who specialises in the type of procedure she needed, removed the tumour in a delicate operation that was filmed for Channel 5's gripping documentary Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death. He explained: 'This was a very rare form of cancer. It had already gone through the skull base and into the base of the brain. If we hadn't acted, it could have spread through her body. The surgery was high risk – we were working close to the brain's main blood supply, with dangers of stroke, seizures, and even death.' The operation was a success, but not without cost. To ensure all the cancer was removed, surgeons had to take out Claire's olfactory bulbs, meaning she's now permanently lost her sense of smell. After her surgery, Claire underwent six gruelling weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She's now under close monitoring but is slowly returning to work and spending quality time with her husband Gary and daughters Lowenna, 27, and Keizha, 25. 'I very nearly didn't go to that appointment,' Claire said. 'I thought, 'There's nothing wrong – don't waste NHS time.' But looking back, that decision could've cost me my life.' Now, as part of World Head and Neck Cancer Day, Claire is working with the UK's Get A-Head Charitable Trust to raise awareness and urge others to take persistent symptoms seriously, no matter how small they seem. She said: 'If you know your body, you've got to push. If something feels wrong – don't ignore it.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bridgwater £17.8m diagnostic centre to improve access to 'vital scans'
A hospital trust has moved a step forward in its plans to construct a £17.8m diagnostic centre to improve access to vital NHS Foundation Trust has been given approval by NHS England to construct the facility next to Bridgwater Community Hospital. It said it has now applied for planning permission, which if approved could see the facility open next centre will run a range of services including two CT scanners, two MRI scanners, four outpatient rooms and two echocardiography and ultrasound director David Craig said the centre is "expected to provide almost 25,000 additional scans every year". This will enable the centre to provide the Bridgwater population with routine and specialist cardiac and cancer scanning, alongside clinics. It follows the opening of a community diagnostic centre in Taunton in 2020, as well as the development of a diagnostic centre next to Yeovil Hospital, which is expected to open later this year."This development is fantastic news for people in Bridgwater and will improve access to vital healthcare scans, as well as help us to reduce our waiting times," Mr Craig said."The new centre supports one of the three shifts of the NHS 10 Year Plan, which involves transferring care from hospitals into local communities."Running across seven days a week, it will improve access for people in Bridgwater and the surrounding areas to specialist care, with the centre expected to provide almost 25,000 additional scans every year."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'Our little girl died four years ago and we're still waiting to find out why'
The grieving family of Bonnie Marsh, who died after collapsing in hospital, have been left with more bad news after being told an inquest into her death has been delayed again The devastated parents of a little girl who died after collapsing in hospital say they feel 'let down again and again" as a long-awaited inquest into her death is delayed yet again, nearly four years on. Bonnie Marsh, just four years old, tragically died in December 2021 after falling seriously ill with vomiting and exhaustion. Despite three visits to hospital, where her mum says she was 'dying in her arms', the bubbly schoolgirl was not admitted until it was too late Now, her grieving parents Lauren and Liam Marsh are still fighting for answers, but the inquest they had hoped would finally give them closure has been pushed back once more. And the heartbroken couple have revealed a string of horrifying discoveries in the wake of their daughter's death — including learning her body had been frozen without their consent. Mum Lauren, 33, said: "She's my daughter, but it feels like she's been the NHS 's property since she died. We were finally at the point of getting answers, and it's been taken away from us. We've just been let down again.' Bonnie, who had just started school and adored Disney's The Lion King, seemed full of a cold on December 14 four years ago when she came home from school. Two days later, she passed out in the bathroom after being sick. Paramedics told her family her observations were 'fine' and said the hospital wasn't necessary. But her concerned mum insisted on taking her in anyway, explaining: "She was still being sick, floppy and lethargic." Bonnie was seen again at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital the following day but sent home. On December 18, Lauren knew something was seriously wrong. She added: "She was freezing cold, floppy and dying in my arms. I was wandering around the hospital begging someone to help.' A cleaner, not a nurse or doctor, eventually guided her to the Children's Assessment Unit and said the tot was "very poorly," Lauren explained. As Bonnie's condition worsened, doctors handed Lauren a syringe and told her to feed her daughter tiny drops of water, despite her being close to death. Lauren said: 'They gave me the syringe to put water in my dying daughter's mouth. They said they'd restarted her heart and were transferring her by helicopter. But before we could leave, doctors ran back into the room. They said it was time to say goodbye — but when I walked in, she was already gone.' Ever since the tragic death, Lauren says her family haven't received any support or guidance and that police weren't contacted about the sudden death. Initially, the cause of death was said to be dehydration due to norovirus. A post-mortem later showed Bonnie had also tested positive for Covid and flu. But then doctors at N&N said she may have died due to a genetic condition, and an interim death certificate listed an 'inborn error of metabolism'. However, specialists at Addenbrooke's, Great Ormond Street, and even a clinic in Germany all found no evidence of any such condition. To make matters worse, the family were told after her death that Bonnie's body had been frozen to preserve samples. Lauren added: 'I hadn't signed anything. I had no idea. I was heartbroken. When I finally saw her, she didn't look like my Bonnie anymore.' Bonnie's inquest was finally scheduled to begin this July, but just three days before it was due to start, the family were told it was being postponed again because a witness was unavailable. At a brief hearing, area coroner Johanna Thompson said: "Bonnie's inquest was due to take place this week, but there were difficulties with the attending witness… It has now been relisted for October 29 and 30.' However, the family aren't hopeful anything will get done this time and are refusing to put it in their calendar. Lauren explained: "Every delay sets us back three months. Every time, someone needs more time to review evidence. I don't think we're going to get an apology. I just want a concrete answer about what my daughter died from.' In a statement, Tracey Bleakley, Executive Managing Director at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: "Our deepest condolences are with Bonnie's family following their loss and we are sorry to hear there have been delays in the inquest process. It is entirely right that the circumstances are fully reviewed by the coroner following our own internal review. A full inquest… will provide the opportunity to answer all the family's questions.'
