Interview with Alexandra D’Arcy Clark, Chief Business Development Officer at Synoptic

At Synoptic, our mission is to use technology to address the most pressing public healthcare challenges, and there is no greater test than the Covid-19 pandemic. We are a specialist British software company and, through innovations like our reactivate app, we are working with schools, businesses and the Government to ensure that we can keep the economy moving and keep children in the classroom, learning.

Schools and business face a difficult balancing act in avoiding institution-wide lockdowns and Synoptic helps provide them with the tools to face that challenge. Our software-based solutions enable localised approaches to Covid management, meaning that a network of contacts, such as a school class or office, can be notified via the app, and have tests sent to their home addresses. Working alongside NHS Test and Trace, this helps to manage the spread of the virus more effectively and reduces the need to lock down whole institutions.

How did the company start?

Quite simply, the Synoptic journey started through conversations with front line medical professionals. Back in March when Covid-19 was first taking hold in the UK, we heard Doctors’ concerns about the impact of Covid and the need for data driven solutions.

We then set out to apply our expertise to resolve these problems. This process has led to the creation of a number of software solutions, including our Reactivate track and trace system, as well as our Synoptic Critical Care programme, which works to more effectively digitise ward rounds and unify clinical data across health networks.

Tell us about the new track and trace app

Reactivate is an innovative new approach that helps schools and businesses to manage the challenges of staying open, whilst managing Covid risk. We are currently undertaking a trial of reactivate.today with schools across Cambridgeshire, helping them to manage the multitude of Covid challenges they face.

The system works by seamlessly integrating a school or businesses’ existing student and staff database with the test and trace system, meaning that a network of contacts – such as a school class or office – associated with a positive case can be immediately and automatically notified via the app or text message, and have tests sent to their home addresses. Our alert system then enables micro lockdowns, ensuring that the majority of services can be maintained.

We are currently talking to a wide range of businesses, schools and public bodies around how the transformative potential of reactivate.today can be used to ensure that we keep the economy moving and avoid national lockdowns in the wake of a Covid second wave.

The premise of Reactivate is simple – share responsibility. Reactivate is an innovative new approach that helps schools and business to manage the challenges of staying open through digital screening and integrated testing. The data is then securely shared between, for example, employee and employer or between parent and school. By looking at things at this more granular level, we can ensure that the relevant information is shared with those that need to know it, when they need to know it.

We are currently undertaking a trial of Reactivate with schools across Cambridgeshire, helping them to manage the multitude of Covid challenges they face. The system works by seamlessly integrating a school or businesses’ existing student and staff database with the test and trace system, meaning that a network of contacts – such as a school class or office – associated with a positive case can be immediately and automatically notified via the app or text message, and have tests sent to their home addresses. Our alert system then enables micro lockdowns, ensuring that the majority of services can be maintained.

What can we hope to see from Synoptic in the future?

We started our journey as a response to the needs of the clinical community, and it is that philosophy which continues to guide us. Across the country, healthcare leaders, businesses and other public bodies are in a period of unprecedented flux; our approach is to remain agile to those needs, developing solutions to the challenges of tomorrow.

One of our current priorities is to build on the Reactivate trial in Cambridgeshire and to scale this across the country, ensuring that schools, businesses and public bodies have access to this important tool. But this is only the first step in our journey. We are continually striving to find new innovations to help meet public health challenges, and the roll-out and launch of our critical care programme will be a big part of this.

It truly is an exciting time to work at Synoptic.