On a warm and sunny April day, almost 100 AXREM members and key external stakeholders gathered at Bletchley park Museum for the AXREM Imaging IT Manifesto Launch with the focus of the manifesto and event being: Here to Enhance Patient Care and Improve Outcomes.
Bletchley Park was the headquarters of the British Military Intelligence Government Code and Cipher School during World War II. The estate employed 12,000 code breakers and staff. Bletchley Park was where Alan Turing and other agents of the Ultra intelligence project decoded the enemy’s secret messages, most notably those that had been encrypted with the German Enigma and Tunny.
The event and fabulous venue so relevant to the manifesto would not have been possible without the support of Headline sponsors Medihive, Sectra and Soliton IT and our other event sponsors Barco and Magentus.
The event kicked off in the Fellowship Auditorium with an opening address by AXREM Chief Executive Officer, Sally Edgington who said:
I am sure you will agree in the world of healthcare, imagination is a powerful tool. It fuels innovation, creativity, and the breakthroughs that transform lives. Every medical advancement we’ve seen and every life-saving treatment, every new technology, every improvement in care began with someone imagining what could be. From the discovery of penicillin to the invention of imaging technologies that AXREM members provide today, that allow us to see inside the body, it all began simply by imagining.
Imagine a world where communication was entirely encrypted, hidden behind layers of codes and puzzles, making it impossible for anyone to understand the information unless they had the key. For centuries, such encryption kept secrets safe, but it also prevented progress. It was only when brilliant minds like those who broke the Enigma code during World War II decided to challenge the impossible, to unravel the mysteries hidden within the most complex puzzles, that the world began to change. And from that pivotal moment, we saw the birth of a revolution that would eventually shape the future of information technology, transforming every aspect of our lives including healthcare.
Code-breaking, at its core, is about unlocking potential—breaking down barriers that prevent us from accessing the full power of knowledge. In the field of healthcare, code-breaking represents the key to unlocking new possibilities for how we diagnose, understand, treat, and prevent diseases. It symbolises the ongoing evolution of data, communication, and technology, where each innovation leads to new ways of using information to save lives and improve our well-being.
The event welcomed Bletchley Park historian Dr Thomas Cheetham who spoke about the history of codebreaking at Bletchley Park and how it is related to modern day cyber security. David Lawson, Director of MedTech at the Department for Health & Social Care spoke about getting the basics right to support the adoption of new technologies and what the DHSC are doing to support this. Richard Evans, Chief Executive of the Society & College of Radiographers spoke about the importance of industry collaboration and the College of Radiographers Industry Partnerships Scheme (CoRIPS). Gareth Lambe, CEO spoke about the work of Medihive and Chris Scarisbrick Customer Operations Director & Deputy Managing Director UK&I spoke about Sectra’s work.
The focus of the event was of course the Imaging IT Manifesto, AXREM Imaging IT Convenor and Chief Commercial Officer at Soliton IT, Bob Childe spoke about the manifesto in detail and concluded with the manifestos calls to action. Bob ended his speech by advising attendees, that AXREM members are our strength, and he hopes that key external stakeholders will call upon AXREM member expertise to assist in addressing many of the things in the manifesto.
The event was concluded with AXREM Chair, Huw Shurmer thanking everyone for coming, thanking the sponsors and asking if attendees would consider a donation to the AXREM Charity of the year, donations after the event have now exceeded £400, so huge thanks to all those that scanned the QR code and supported Action for Children.
Bob Childe, AXREM Imaging IT Convenor said after the event “It was my privilege to launch the Imaging IT Manifesto at such an inspiring location. I hope our calls to action will be taken on by all stakeholders, to allow us to make a real difference in enhancing patient care and improving outcomes”.
Note:
AXREM members supply the majority of diagnostic medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment installed in UK hospitals. In doing so, our member companies and their employees work side by side with Radiologists, Radiographers, Practitioners, Oncologists and a wide range of healthcare professionals in delivering healthcare to patients using our technologies.
Our members therefore have unique knowledge, experience and insight into the workflow and challenges faced by healthcare professionals on a day-to-day basis, which enables us to develop and offer innovative solutions to improve the speed and quality of diagnostic procedures and treatments with our ultimate aim of improving patient care.
Although our members operate in a highly competitive commercial environment and in strict conformity with UK laws and regulations, certain issues such as this require focus and resolution on an industry-wide basis.
For further information about this press release please contact AXREM Chief Executive Officer – Sally Edgington
AXREM, Rotherwick House, 3 Thomas More Street, London, E1W 1YZ
E sally.edgington@axrem.org.uk
T 07717 058649
