The Trust used the iX programme to reach solution providers it would not normally encounter through traditional procurement routes, broadening access to a wider pool of innovative technologies and ideas.

One of the recent challenges posed to the iX team was improving how nitrous oxide is monitored and managed in maternity wards, where the gas is commonly used to support pain relief during labour.

The challenge: detecting nitrous oxide levels in maternity wards

The Trust identified the need for a system that could measure and display nitrous oxide levels in real time and help identify potential leakages within individual rooms.

Nitrous oxide, delivered as Entonox, is widely used across maternity units and can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions if not properly controlled. The Trust was also mindful of staff exposure and the need to protect clinical teams by identifying areas where gas may be pooling or escaping into the wider environment.

The challenge focused on finding a practical, cost-effective monitoring solution that could support both patient care and staff safety, while contributing to the Trust’s wider Net Zero ambitions.

Exploring a practical, scalable solution

Through the iX process, the Trust invited innovators to propose sensing and monitoring technologies that could detect elevated nitrous oxide levels and alert staff in real time.

The solution needed to work within active clinical suites, integrating with existing hospital systems where possible and providing clear, actionable information to both clinical teams and estates staff. A key requirement was the ability to identify leaks at room level, allowing maintenance teams to respond quickly and reduce unnecessary gas loss.

As part of the process, selected solution providers were invited to trial their technologies within the hospital environment, collecting data and feedback to assess performance, reliability and ease of use in a real-world setting.

Wider impact and future opportunities

If validated and delivered at a cost-effective price point, the Trust hopes the system could become a long-term approach to managing nitrous oxide usage across its maternity wards and potentially wider clinical areas.

Beyond the immediate hospital setting, the work also supports the testing and adoption of new monitoring technologies within the NHS, helping solution providers demonstrate their systems in a complex, high-demand environment and opening opportunities for wider deployment.

A collaborative experience

Reflecting on the process, the Trust described working with the iX programme as a collaborative and supportive experience. The iX team helped guide Hull University Teaching Hospitals through the preparation of the challenge, as well as the evaluation and trials stages, making the process easier to navigate.

navigate.

The iX programme is a really attractive offering, in that it gives us access to a number of suppliers and companies that ordinarily we might not come into contact with. The iX process is hugely collaborative, with a wealth of industry experience within the team and ongoing support, which made it much friendlier and easier to use.

– Marc Beaumont, Head of Sustainability, Hull University Teaching Hospitals.