Student inventors help people with life limiting conditions

Patients with life limiting illnesses are set to benefit from the skills of two computing students at Bucks UTC.

Will Matthew, 17, from Wendover and Charlie Steer, 16, from Aylesbury are helping to lead a tele healthcare revolution at the South Bucks Hospice to allow patients to receive remote support.

To improve the hospices’ services and care, the hospice team were looking for a way to use video communication to improve the support they could offer their patients.

Bucks UTC were approached by Framework Digital, a digitial marketing company which supports the hospice, to take on this project opportunity.

The students were asked to explore video conferencing technology through android tablets to see how patients could receive advice and support remotely. After testing the technology, the students concluded Skype would be the most suitable option. Having completed the research, the students provided instructions to patients on how to use they equipment. As well as this students came up wth other options to be explored further in the future

Tomas Pukaliski, Director of Framework Digital, who is project managing, said: “Alan Bailey, head of computing at Bucks UTC thought this would be an excellent work placement project for the students and offered their support and use of the UTC’s resources”.

Jo Woolf, CEO at South Bucks Hospice said: “it is great to have young people engaged with this project. They are helping to plan their world tomorrow”.

Jo Woolf added: “They exceeded all expectations, taking the initiative and executing the idea really well. Being able to offer out patients’ diverse services via video calling is hugely helpful for both patients and professionals, speeding up support access and supporting independent living”. South Bucks Hospice is a local organisation based in High Wycombe that offers free support to individuals who have been diagnosed with a life limiting conditions. It offers caring and compassionate support to not only the individuals but also their families to help them adjust and cope with the changes to their lives.

Bucks UTC gives fourteen to nineteen year olds the opportunity to take a full time, technically oriented course of study specialising in either construction or computing. The college is able to respond to the high demand from the industry for well educated technicians.