NHS Bureaucracy Drives Virtual Reality Firm to Focus on US Market

Oxford Medical Simulation, a UK-based virtual reality (VR) training company, has shifted its primary focus to the United States, citing bureaucratic obstacles within the NHS as a major hindrance to innovation. The London-based firm, founded in 2017, offers virtual reality simulations to train healthcare professionals, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Co-founders Jack Pottle and Michael Wallace have expressed frustration over the challenges posed by the NHS’s complex procurement system. Pottle, who worked as an NHS physician for seven years, revealed that while the NHS was an early adopter of VR training, progress has slowed significantly. Wallace highlighted the difficulty of selling to individual NHS trusts, each driven by regional priorities, noting the need to approach all 229 trusts individually. This time-consuming process has made the US market far more appealing.

The company’s technology allows healthcare professionals to engage in realistic patient interactions, offering vital experiential learning opportunities. In 2019, Oxford Medical Simulation secured a contract with Health Education England East of England to train junior doctors. Its first US contract followed in 2020 with Boston Children’s Hospital, marking the beginning of rapid growth overseas. The firm now has partnerships with three of the ten largest healthcare systems in the US, with the majority of its contracts concentrated there.

Despite these hurdles, the co-founders acknowledged support from NHS innovation schemes, including the Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and the NHS Innovation Accelerator. Pottle stressed the NHS’s awareness of the importance of innovation, but lamented that excessive bureaucracy often limits the implementation of new technologies in practice.

The UK government has recognised this issue, with Science Secretary Peter Kyle pledging to cut red tape that slows innovation. Speaking at a recent conference, he criticised the barriers faced by pioneers in bringing forward transformative solutions for healthcare, citing initiatives like drone deliveries for hospitals as unnecessarily delayed in the UK.

Oxford Medical Simulation continues to progress. After securing nearly £10 million in funding last year, the company is focusing on expanding its reach in global markets, particularly the US, where the appetite and infrastructure for innovation have proved more accommodating.