Could virtual reality replace painkillers? NHS trial begins in Torbay

Torbay is at the forefront of digital healthcare, becoming the first NHS Trust in the UK to offer pioneering virtual reality therapy to patients living with chronic pain.

Over the past 18 months, around 50 patients have trialled immersive VR software as part of an innovative programme run by the Pain Rehabilitation Team at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT), supported by the Trust’s Digital Futures team.

The treatment uses CUREO VR software – a system currently only used at TSDFT – to create bespoke virtual environments that help patients manage their symptoms through movement and relaxation, without the need for medication.

Physiotherapist Phillipa Newton-Cross, service lead for the Pain Rehabilitation Team, said: “We are the only NHS Trust in the country who are using CUREO VR therapy software to offer patients an alternative solution to chronic pain rehabilitation.

"For the past two years we have been exploring how we can improve the lives of patients using methods that avoid medication and promote movement and wellbeing by using VR immersive therapy.

We have run one-to-one VR clinics with patients and have found some incredible results and benefits to health, including alternatives to medicated pain relief, and how new technology can help patients suffering from chronic pain, long-term health conditions, anxiety and low mood in new and innovative ways.

"This is bespoke software, and we feel very fortunate to be the only NHS setting in the UK that is using this particular therapy software to help people living with chronic pain.”

A public showcase event was held at Torbay Hospital earlier this month, with further demonstrations planned this summer. Attendees included former patients who now volunteer with the programme, as well as members of the Torbay Hospital League of Friends, who helped fund the specialist equipment used in the trial.

Trust Chairman Chris Balch said: “Our physiotherapy teams are taking this portable technology into people’s homes to help patients manage chronic pain, meaning you don’t have to travel into a hospital setting. This is better for a lot of people as they get to work on their condition but in a location where they feel comfortable.

"We have recently seen the announcement of the new 10-year plan for the NHS, where three key shifts are highlighted – from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.

"This type of cutting-edge healthcare using VR technology, examining how we can tackle pain and anxiety through non-medicated pathways and within the patients home absolutely supports the future aspirations of the NHS.

"I am so proud of the Pain Rehabilitation Team for their energy and passion in driving this technology forward for the good of our patients.”

The team has also begun a 12-week home-based trial using ROHKEA VR – a form of cognitive behavioural and movement therapy – which allows patients to manage symptoms daily using headsets and tailored software.

Emma Stevens, a participant in the CUREO VR project who is now enrolled in the ROHKEA trial, said: “When I was working with the headset and doing my therapy I wasn’t thinking about the pain, it just took me somewhere else where I could do things without discomfort. It is just so helpful.”

Martin Tucker, Chair of Torbay Hospital League of Friends, added, “The League of Friends are delighted to support the Pain Rehabilitation Team. We paid for and donated the two headsets, and the licence needed to allow the team to start exploring this new way of working.

"This is cutting-edge technology, and we are so proud to see the Trust trying something new and innovative to make strides in developing this new way of looking at health and rehabilitation.”

Additional immersive tools showcased at the hospital include Nature VR Immersion and Soulpaint, a multi-award-winning virtual reality experience developed by behavioural scientists.