New Leeds centre will use AI, virtual reality, and global partnerships to improve emergency care in Leeds, the UK and around the world.

A pioneering new programme has launched at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, aiming to revolutionise emergency care on a local, national and global scale, through the power of technology, innovation, and international collaboration.

The Centre for Emergency Care and Global Health (CENT-EC Global) was officially launched on 10 June 2025 by Professor Phil Woods, Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It will bring together the development of cutting-edge AI tools, virtual learning environments, and international partnerships to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing emergency care today.

Emergency Departments are under immense pressure – from growing patient numbers and rising clinical complexity to severe staffing shortages and premature burnout for staff. These high-risk environments can lead to avoidable harm for both patients and healthcare professionals. Leeds, like many parts of the country, is also seeing stark inequalities in access to emergency care for its underserved communities. Local communities affected by socio-economic deprivation, language barriers and cultural differences are among the most vulnerable – and least well-served.

CENT-EC Global is a direct response to these challenges. It brings together Leeds’ strengths in emergency medicine, education, technology, and global health to create a centre of academic excellence focused on practical, scalable solutions. By uniting digital innovation, frontline education, and ethical global partnerships under one umbrella, the centre offers a coordinated approach to making emergency care safer, more sustainable and equitable – both in Leeds for its local underserved communities, but also in health systems around the world, especially in Southeast Asia. It will also serve as a critical platform for strengthening international support networks for the NHS workforce and helping to build long-term global capacity for systems in emergency care in low resource settings.

The programme will address three key priorities:

  • Digital innovation to improve safety and efficiency – Developing and evaluating next-generation tools like AI scribes, AI support to augment clinicians’ decision making and immersive virtual training platforms to support emergency care teams.
  • Stronger global partnerships – Building ethical, collaborative relationships with countries such as Pakistan and across Southeast Asia, where many NHS healthcare workers come from, to support mutual learning, training, and system development.
  • Supporting underserved communities in Leeds – The development of the CHOICE programme in late 2025 will aim to improve access and education for communities affected by language barriers, inequality, and deprivation.

Dr Taj Hassan, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Emergency care is a pressure point in every healthcare system, and we believe that Leeds can lead the way in finding creative solutions that not only help us but are also impactful in low resource settings. Through this centre and the collaborations, we are building we will be developing AI tools to make our Emergency Departments safer, using virtual reality to train the next generation of clinicians, and building partnerships that support colleagues here and overseas.”

Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “CENT-EC Global represents the very best of what the NHS can offer — combining innovation, compassion and international collaboration to solve some of the toughest challenges in emergency care. This centre reflects our commitment to delivering world-class care in Leeds, while also supporting the wider global health community. By integrating cutting-edge digital tools, immersive education, and meaningful global partnerships, we are helping to shape a safer, smarter and more equitable future for emergency medicine”.

The launch event, held at the Thackary Museum of Medicine in Leeds, hosted a range of sessions, including:

  • AI scribes in the ED – Exploring how ambient AI can assist clinicians in real time
  • VR for emergency medicine training – Demonstrating approaches for next-gen simulation tools
  • Global health partnerships – Insights from the successful collaborative Hubs of Academic Learning (cHALO) programme linking over 47 centres in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia
  • Opportunities to support the emerging CHOICE project – A hybrid digital and face to face approach that is being developed for local underserved communities
  • Collaborative partnerships with other clinical experts within the Leeds Trust involved in emergency care

CENT-EC Global is supported by Leeds Hospitals Charity, industry partners, and academic collaborators, with plans to attract further investment and research funding.

Dr Hassan added: “This is about improving care here in Leeds while also giving back to the countries and communities that have supported the NHS workforce for decades. We are creating a blueprint for emergency care that’s inclusive, future-facing, and truly global.”