28th July 2023

Welsh Virtual Reality company chosen to deliver “a revolution in healthcare training” in collaboration with Swansea University and Hywel Dda University Health Board.

Welsh Virtual Reality company chosen to deliver “a revolution in healthcare training” in collaboration with Swansea University and Hywel Dda University Health Board.

With an ambitious £900k Higher Education Funding Council of Wales (HEFCW) project called Virtual Reality a Welsh Reality, Swansea University and Hywel Dda UHB have selected Rescape, a Cardiff-based company, to deliver a series of bespoke VR training modules in both English and Welsh.
This project places Swansea University and partners and Wales at the cutting edge of utilising new technologies to deliver solutions to make the NHS safer, utilise resource more effectively, support flexible and innovative training for undergraduate and post-graduate learners and make strides towards net zero. Rescape has partnered with Swansea-based Imersifi, alumni of Swansea University’s VR MSc course, to support delivery of the project.
Kevin Moss, CEO of Rescape said: “There is an amazing ecosystem developing in South Wales around VR and AR technologies and it’s exciting to see the area flourishing and delivering on its potential. Virtual Reality is a transformative technology, this project is the start of a new way to train the next generation of healthcare specialists. The significant pressures facing the NHS are well documented as is the shortfall in capacity for training staff, and so new technologies like VR must be embraced if we want to start solving these issues.”
Head of Simulation, Associate Professor Joanne Davies, is the Principal Investigator of the VRWR project and leads SUSIM, the University’s specialist centre and programme to develop ground-breaking simulation and immersive education.
This project is also aligned to an ongoing partnership with Hywel Dda UHB to help grow all forms of simulation-based learning, support individual learning, and enhance team and system performance.
Rescape will join an impressive VR research group formed by Associate Professor Davies and Professor John Gammon, which includes subject matter experts, research and assessment specialists, health board partners, and members of the SUSIM team to ensure that quality and expertise are at the core of each phase of the project.
Prof Davies said: “We’re excited to be working with Rescape and Imersifi, they are passionate and knowledgeable about Virtual Reality with a track record of delivering impactful VR training. Their experience and expertise will enhance our ability to train individuals and teams in an immersive, engaging, and flexible way. It is more relevant than ever to help break the boundaries of when and where education can occur, especially with current pressures on all parts of the service. I am also delighted that some of our previous Swansea University students are involved in this amazing project for healthcare education.”
– Joe Charman (Co-Founder and XR Developer and former Swansea Uni graduate) stated:
“As co-founders of Imersifi and graduates of Swansea University, Jack Bengeyfield and I are excited about our partnership with Rescape to deliver these cutting-edge healthcare training modules. We are excited to bring our expertise in virtual reality training and simulations to this project, working closely with the team at Swansea University and their esteemed subject matter experts. The project will empower future healthcare professionals with the hands-on experience they need to provide the highest level of care to patients.”

Kevin Moss CEO Rescape said: “For VR training to succeed, we must work within multidisciplinary teams to build and pilot training that is designed beside academics, healthcare professionals, and students. Virtual Reality holds immense potential for the future and it is crucial to ensure the integration of simulation education standards and including research on its educational impact within complex systems.
He continues: “In the last year we’ve seen a huge uplift in interest in the use of Virtual Reality in Healthcare and we are entering a new period where the technology is maturing rapidly. Behind all the hype about the Metaverse the hard work is happening, building the knowledge and platforms that are needed to deliver on the technologies promise. Projects like this will grow knowledge quickly and deliver best-in-class solutions. We are really confident and hugely ambitious about the future and hope for further collaboration with Swansea University to define a standard and approach that will be acknowledged internationally as gold standard. It’s thrilling to work with the world-class SUSIM team and combine their academic rigour and knowledge with our creative skills and proven success in creating VR training.”

Professor Keith Lloyd, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, added: “This is another important step forward for us. By offering the very latest in healthcare training and staying at the cutting edge of immersive education, we are ensuring Swansea maintains its international reputation for innovation and excellence as we train the next generation of health professionals.”