July’s Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme spotlight features ExR who use immersive technology to transform healthcare education and significantly expand access to high-quality training at scale.
With a mission is to help upskill and sustain the global healthcare workforce, ExR has collaborated with more than 35 NHS trusts, universities and charities to co-develop innovative educational content tailored to a wide range of learning needs.
Their platform currently supports thousands of learners across more than half of NHS trusts in England and has been successfully implemented across undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, professional courses, and national conferences.
Through these partnerships, ExR is helping to make healthcare training more accessible, engaging and effective for learners at every stage of their careers.
In this spotlight, we hear from ExR founder and CEO, Nick Culley, who shares insights about the company and its innovative approach to transforming healthcare.
Why should the health and care system be excited about your innovation?
ExR enables the NHS to share and deliver technology-enhanced education across organisations at unprecedented scale. By giving educators powerful immersive teaching tools, we accelerate the spread of innovation, expand access to high-quality training, and help build a more skilled workforce capable of delivering better patient care.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far in developing your innovation?
One of the greatest challenges is deciding where the technology can have the greatest impact. We carefully consider where the most significant unmet educational needs exist across healthcare, ensuring that XR is applied in areas where it can deliver the greatest benefit to learners and the wider health system.
How has user feedback, particularly from patients and clinicians, shaped your product?
We are continually refining, expanding, and improving our platform in response to user feedback. This iterative, user-centred approach underpins our development process and has been embedded throughout multiple competitive grant-funded projects and peer-reviewed research studies.
“We had tested ExR’s previous VR films via the platform and were impressed by the breadth and depth of their immersive scenarios. It is great to collaborate with a company that, in addition to providing innovate technologies, really cares about what they do and strives to improve the lives of patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.”
Dr Michael Loizou, Associate Professor in Digital Health, University of Plymouth
“The VR training simulations are beyond what I had imagined, and we have published the user study data with the British Association of Head and Neck Oncology.”
Professor Ajith George, Academic ENT Surgeon, Keele University
“What set ExR apart was their ability to bridge the gap between pedagogy and production.”
Sean Freeman, Senior Lecturer, University of Greater Manchester
How could your innovation tackle inequalities in mental health?
Rather than relying on a single success story, our platform is being systematically evaluated through educational research spanning multiple medical specialties. The evidence consistently shows meaningful gains in learner confidence, competence, and knowledge, while demonstrating the potential to transform healthcare education, at scale, through considerable cost efficiencies and reductions in the environmental impact of traditional simulation training.
What type of support are you seeking most from readers to help drive your project forward?
We’re always keen to connect with people who share our mission. If you’re interested in learning more, collaborating, or exploring how ExR could support your work, please do get in touch — we’d love to hear from you and continue the conversation.
Email: info@exr.education
Want to find out more about our Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme?
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