Finding a voice through AI
Staff across the Trust are building their digital, data and AI skills to improve care for patients, an approach recently recognised at the Get the Nation Learning Awards 2026.
Project VOCAL (Voice for the Critically Unwell) uses AI, eye-tracking technology and touch-based interaction to help patients communicate when speaking is difficult or impossible. The project was developed by Anna Lazcano, an ITU nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital, through the skills and knowledge she gained while completing a Level 4 Business Analyst Apprenticeship through Barts Health Education Academy.
"The idea is to enable patients to select words or phrases using their eyes or touch, with AI helping to construct meaningful messages," Anna explains.
"The aim is to give patients a more accessible and less physically demanding way to express their needs. Currently, we rely on methods such as alphabet boards, picture charts and yes-or-no questions. While these can be helpful, they are not always practical or effective, particularly for patients experiencing profound muscle weakness or limited mobility."
Back in 2021, Anna treated a tracheostomy patient in ITU for more than two months, and it was her experience with them that led her to developing the tool.
"A huge part of my shift was consumed by trying to understand the patient's needs, which was frustrating to us both," she said.
"More than half the time, the patient just entirely gave up trying to communicate, when morale is low it is difficult to engage them to do rehabilitation. I have seen that "resigned look" time and time again and I have always wondered why nothing is being done to make communication more efficient. I wanted to provide patients with a more accessible and less physically demanding way to express their needs."
Anna's project is currently in the development stage with the next steps being to submit the initial prototype to clinical experts (clinicians, speech and language therapists and AI specialists) to make sure it is appropriate, safe and adhering to our governance policies.
"My next goal is to deploy a working prototype of the tool, once deemed appropriate by experts, to demonstrate how eye-tracking and AI-assisted communication could work in practice," she adds.
"Although these technologies are already used in other contexts, I believe it would make a positive impact towards our specific cohort of patients.
"I would then like to explore its feasibility in the critical care unit, gather feedback from healthcare professionals and other stakeholders especially our patients and their families."
Anna is one of many colleagues across Barts Health building their digital, data and AI skills through apprenticeship programmes. Her work reflects the ambitions of the Trust’s new Education Strategy 2026-2030, which aims to create a culture where learning, innovation, and development are part everyday life, helping staff develop the skills needed to shape the future of healthcare and deliver even better care for patients.
The Trust’s commitment to lifelong learning was recently recognised when the Education Academy won the Learning with Technology Award at the Get the Nation Learning Awards 2026, celebrating organisations that use technology to expand access to learning and improve workplace development.
The Get the Nation Learning Awards are part of Get the Nation Learning Week, running from 2-6 November. Led by Learning and Work Institute and backed by more than 220 organisations, the Get the Nation Learning campaign celebrates the power of lifelong learning to change lives, strengthen communities and support better work.
Read more