Skip navigation
ericsson.com
5G Connected Ambulance

The 5G Connected Ambulance

5G enables the UK’s first remote diagnosis

With unprecedented new demands on the NHS and emergency services due to the coronavirus pandemic, the need for innovative new ways of delivering healthcare is now more critical than ever.

Case

Real-time care

The 5G connected ambulance provides an innovative new way to connect patients, ambulance workers and remote medical experts in real time, thanks to a collaboration between Ericsson, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and King’s College London.

Through a live 5G network in Birmingham, managed by BT, healthcare workers have performed the UK’s first remote diagnostic procedure over 5G. The demonstration showcases how 5G technology can enable clinicians and paramedics to collaborate haptically, even when they are miles apart.

This revolutionary use of 5G has the potential to transform how future healthcare is delivered, enabling crucial efficiencies and reducing the need for some patients to visit A&E.

Transformative technology

The clinician was able to perform the procedure remotely through an immersive combination of 5G-enabled technology.

A camera based in the ambulance transmits high-definition footage to the remote clinician with close to zero latency. Using a VR headset and a joystick, the clinician can then remotely guide the paramedic through a series of procedures based on haptic glove technology.

All of this allows the clinician to recognise vital signs, access medical records remotely and ultimately respond much faster.

The 5G difference

The diagnosis was made possible by 5G’s ultra-fast speeds and ultra-low latency. This made it possible for there to be a delay of mere milliseconds between what was happening in the ambulance and what the clinician could see from miles away, as the data was transmitted in real time.

Real-time connectivity could potentially be critical to NHS capabilities, helping first responders to act quickly in an emergency and opening up new possibilities for remote diagnosis and preventative healthcare.

Technology and 5G connectivity, when paired with human expertise, has the power to elevate public services, relieve resource restraints and even save lives.

“We are excited by the huge potential of 5G technology and how it can help transform healthcare in the future. We believe it has the potential to create more efficient use of healthcare resources, particularly with regards to easing the burden on A&E services” Dave Rosser, UHB Chief Executive

Bringing 5G to the UK

Ericsson are leaders in 5G, unleashing a wave of innovation across the UK.

Discover Ericsson 5G
Learn more about capturing 5G business opportunities

We help service providers capture the business opportunities enabled by 5G – through our leading technology, global industry insights, and a collaborative approach to business development.

Visit the page