The Learning Clinic

The Learning Clinic, founded in 2005 by Roger Killen, developed the VitalPAC range of clinical software solutions. Killen, who previously co-founded and served as managing director of Dr Foster, established the company to pioneer real-time clinical systems aimed at healthcare improvement. The firm's core business revolves around providing mobile clinical systems for doctors and nurses, primarily serving the UK's National Health Service (NHS) hospital sector. Its revenue is generated through the deployment and licensing of its software products to hospitals.

In September 2015, The Learning Clinic was acquired by System C Healthcare, a major British supplier of health and social care information technology systems. Following the acquisition, The Learning Clinic began operating as a subsidiary of System C, which itself has a history of strategic acquisitions and is now owned by CVC Capital Partners. This integration aimed to enhance the capabilities of The Learning Clinic's products by incorporating additional functionalities like workflow management, results, ordering, and access to shared care records.

The company's flagship product, VitalPAC, is a clinical decision support system that replaces paper-based patient observation charts with handheld, touchscreen technology. It enables clinicians to capture, assess, and act on clinical data at the patient, ward, and hospital levels. Key features include the automatic calculation of a patient's National Early Warning Score (NEWS) to identify deterioration, real-time data visibility on mobile devices, and a 'close the loop' system for instructions and guidance, creating a complete audit trail. The platform has demonstrated significant benefits, with client hospitals reporting reductions in mortality rates, cardiac arrests, and hospital-acquired infections. The product suite includes VitalPAC Nurse for patient observations and VitalPAC Doctor, which provides a comprehensive view of a patient's clinical condition on mobile devices, helping to prioritize workloads and ensure safer handovers.