Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.

👇 News

🤝The Association of British HealthTech Industries has unveiled a new initiative designed to boost the global presence of UK health technology companies at the WHX Dubai 2026 healthcare trade show. The UK Networking Zone is designed to provide UK companies with a professional base from which to strengthen relationships with international partners.

🧠A study found that at-home brain stimulation can prevent relapse of major depressive disorder in 75% of patients. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the PSYLECT study tracked the long-term effects of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation therapy combined with online behavioural support.

💵Luma Health has acquired digital health and patient intake software firm Tonic Health. The acquisition expands Luma’s reach to more than 1,000 health systems – including more than 15 of the United States’ academic medical centres.

⛄Mid Cheshire Hospitals is urging patients to sign up to the NHS App to help them manage their health during winter. It says boosting the number of patients who are signed up will improve access to a range of online services and save people time, while also freeing up health service partners such as GPs to help vulnerable patients in the colder months.

🧬Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham is testing a drug designed to treat patients with cystinosis, a rare, life-threatening genetic disease. The current treatment for the disease, cysteamine, produces side effects such as nausea, vomiting, bad breath, body odour, ulcers and gut damage. The drug being tested (CF10) takes the effective treatment directly to the cells that need it, avoiding the unpleasant side effects.

🥽 Fundamental XR, a supplier of advanced immersive technologies, has launched a Mixed Reality Innovation Program. The scheme aims to help health and medical leaders explore the potential of intelligent wearable and mixed reality technologies, such as the Meta Ray-Ban Display, Apple Vision Pro, Samsung Galaxy XR, and the forthcoming OpenAI iO device.

❓ Did you know that?

Data from Medtronic’s State of Surgery report show that surgeons lose more than four hours every week to slow systems and outdated tools, creating delays that effect admission times.

George Murgatroyd, VP and general manager of Medtronic’s Digital Technologies Business Unit, says that connectivity, robots, analytics and cloud integration can help reduce delays in theatre and improve surgical decision making.

He adds that AI can analyse thousands of hours of surgical video to identify patterns and improve performance in real time.

📖 What we’re reading

A report by digital health supplier System C, published on 17 November, has highlighted how AI can support clinicians, reduce administrative burden, and enable safer, more efficient care across healthcare settings.

The report ‘AI with Purpose: Insights from 300 Voices Shaping the Future of Health and Social Care’ reveals a strong appetite for artificial intelligence across the NHS and wider healthcare sector – with the majority of respondents agreeing that AI can help streamline tasks and improve care delivery.

A survey of nearly 300 professionals across health, social care, and education found that 93% of healthcare professionals believe well-designed AI will help them deliver better care, with 86% saying that AI’s most valuable role is reducing repetitive tasks like documentation and referrals.

Also, 89% said integration with existing systems (like EPRs) is important, while 79% said it was critical.

Guy Lucchi, healthcare managing director at System C, said: “This report shows that AI is no longer a future ambition — it’s a present-day solution.”

🚨 Upcoming events

3 December 2025, Online – NHS Supply Chain Cybersecurity – moving beyond baseline compliance