Posted Friday, 14 March 2025
A new machine learning server will help researchers at UHP analyse clinical research data on site with the aim of improving patient care and service delivery.
The machine learning server team
The machine learning server team
A high-powered server ready for the latest artificial intelligence technologies has been installed at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) thanks to a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) capital investment which provided £30m to NHS trusts in England.
The machine will enable UHP to analyse large clinical datasets on site, enabling cutting-edge research on large pre-existing datasets. The aim is to translate the knowledge gained into improvements for patient care and more efficient service planning. The equipment will also help to build on the ongoing collaboration between UHP and our university partners, University of Plymouth and University of Exeter.
UHP was one of 36 NHS organisations to be awarded funding by the NIHR as part of their capital funding investment to fund the latest research-focused medical equipment and technology. The NIHR funding will support NHS trusts to deliver cutting edge research to improve the prevention, management and treatment of disease. The Research and Development team worked in collaboration with clinical staff to prepare the successful bid in early 2024. The equipment has been successfully deployed and went live in October 2024.
The new equipment can be accessed from any Trust computer, meaning that the ability to analyse large datasets is no longer dependent on having a computer powerful enough to manage the demand. As well as improving the access to data for existing researchers, this improvement has also helped to reduce the barriers for medical staff who are interested in getting involved with research.
The server has now been in place for a number of months and is in regular use by multiple UHP researchers. It is being used to explore cutting edge machine learning models, helping UHP provide cutting edge research and develop a highly skilled workforce.
Research at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has a well-established reputation for high quality research and our Research and Development team has been supporting research for more than 25 years.
Patient participation in research studies is a vital part of healthcare development. It can help to provide new treatments, diagnostic aids or services which could later be adopted across the NHS to improve patient care.
Our vision is to improve the health and wellbeing of our local population by conducting high quality research, which is relevant to the needs of our communities, by embedding research as part of our core business. The Trust is well respected for its capacity to offer the widest variety of research studies in the Peninsula and continues to provide research in all clinical areas.
To find out more about research opportunities at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust either as a researcher or participant, ask your health care professional or contact the Research and Development team.
If you are interested in taking part in research at UHP, you can find the studies we are currently running on the Be Part of Research website.
NIHR
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.
We do this by:
funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care
investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services
partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research
attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges
collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system
funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Our work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.