Health digital twin MOU signing (left to right) Mike Bishop, chief operating officer at Kidney Research UK,
Gareth Scargill, director at Nexus,
Amy Lochtie – West Yorkshire ICB Innovation Hub director, Laura Boyd, director of digital partnerships at Yorkshire and Humber Health Innovation Network,
Bill Hoffman, chair and chief executive, Object Management Group, Nathan Berry, head of collaboration at Nexus, David McKee, chair of digital engineering at Digital Twins Consortium, and managing partner at Crysp, Sunil Daga – clinical associate professor and honorary consultant nephrologist, LIRMM, University of Leeds (Credit: Nexus)
West Yorkshire is piloting a population health ‘digital twin’ for chronic kidney disease to help spot the condition earlier and trial interventions.
The region was chosen by the Digital Twin Consortium as one of eight global digital twin testbeds for the project, which aims to improve patient outcomes, and ease NHS pressures – with the potential to scale nationwide.
The pilot is being run in partnership between Health Innovation Network Yorkshire and Humber, Nexus, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and Kidney Research UK.
Katherine Forbes, director of health system partnerships at Kidney Research UK, said: “This approach has the potential to enhance patient care and population health, whilst alleviating pressure on the healthcare system by reducing the risk of long-term, complex multiple health conditions and advancing efficiency across services.
“Forming this partnership reflects a shared vision and commitment to collaboration, laying the groundwork for an ambitious population health digital twin model—one with the potential to transform care across the NHS and improve outcomes for kidney patients.”
Chronic kidney disease is an urgent priority for West Yorkshire, with the region’s annual need for dialysis predicted to double in five years, costing billions and drastically outstripping NHS capacity.
Dr Sunil Daga, clinical associate professor and honorary consultant nephrologist at the University of Leeds, said: “Chronic kidney disease is often overshadowed by other major health issues, yet it both contributes to and is impacted by them.
“Digital twin technology is a real leap forward – letting us safely explore interventions and predict outcomes before making changes to patient care on the ground.
“If successful, this approach could revolutionise how we manage not just kidney disease, but other complex health conditions too.”
The project will create a virtual model that mirrors real-world systems and simulates patient journeys from early detection to clinical progression, enabling the NHS to target staff, equipment and technology more effectively.
Amy Lochtie, West Yorkshire Innovation Hub director at Health Innovation Network Yorkshire and Humber, said that the project is “a unique opportunity to transform the outlook for people living with chronic kidney disease”.
“Recognition by the Digital Twin Consortium, with West Yorkshire selected as one of only eight international testbeds, is a powerful endorsement of the region’s innovative spirit and collaborative strength.
“It highlights the ability of our health and care partnership to lead on world-class solutions that can make a real difference to population health,” she added.
The long-term vision is to move towards a “population health digital twin” that incorporates wider social determinants of health – including poverty, education, air quality and lifestyle – in line with the NHS 10 year health plan and the UK’s life sciences and AI strategies.
Nathan Berry, head of collaboration and HealthTech lead at Nexus, a community of innovators run by the University of Leeds, said: “This is a significant moment not just for West Yorkshire, but for the wider health sector.
“This partnership shows what can be achieved when innovation communities, health specialists, and research charities unite behind a shared vision.”
The post West Yorkshire pilots ‘digital twin’ for kidney disease first appeared on TechToday.
This post originally appeared on TechToday.