Northern Ireland Rolls Out Gleamer BoneView Fracture Detection AI Across All Five HSC Trusts via Sectra

The Business Services Organisation (BSO) Northern Ireland Picture Archiving and Communication System (NIPACS+) Programme has rolled out BoneView, a fracture detection algorithm developed by AI firm Gleamer, in emergency departments and minor injury units across all five of Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care (HSC) trusts. The deployment, which follows a successful trial at Northern HSC Trust, is expected to help clinical teams examine more than 300,000 bone X-rays a year. Dr Anton Collins, consultant radiologist and senior responsible officer of the NIPACS+ Programme, said: "We've closely studied how our ED clinicians have benefitted from this innovative use of AI. This has helped to increase accuracy in the emergency department to a similar level seen in radiology." He added: "The result: fewer missed fractures, improved clinical decisions, enhanced care, and fewer patients being called back." He also said: "This is not replacing radiologists or radiographers; it is an important way to help busy healthcare teams deliver efficient and effective care." NIPACS+ has been providing diagnosticians and clinical teams with a single point of access for medical images across multiple disciplines, and has been modernising how radiology, pathology and other diagnostic services within HSC can collaborate. BoneView was rolled out through Sectra Amplifier Services. The service is provided by Northern Ireland's enterprise imaging partner Sectra and enables healthcare organisations to integrate tools directly into their existing imaging workflows. Sectra, which is also Northern Ireland's enterprise imaging solution provider, managed the contractual, integration and technical components of the deployment, allowing the AI to scale as needed. Further uses for AI are already being explored in areas including chest X-rays and digital pathology, where potential exists to help clinicians detect diseases and cancers sooner. Once assessed, NIPACS+ will be able to achieve similarly rapid deployment. Jane Rendall, UK and Ireland managing director at Sectra, said: "Northern Ireland is a genuine pioneer in integrated diagnostics at-scale."