FOI_26-080 Virtual Reality systems

Date of response: 21 May 2026

We have now considered your request of 23 April 2026 for the following information:

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the procurement, use, and current status of immersive rooms, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) systems used within your organisation for healthcare education and training.

Please provide the following information where available.

1. Systems Purchased

1.1 Please list all immersive rooms, VR, AR, or similar immersive technologies purchased, installed, or leased since 2018.

1.2 For each system, please provide:

• Name of system

• Supplier/vendor name

• Year of purchase or installation

• Type of system (immersive room, VR, AR, mixed reality, other)

2. Cost and Procurement

2.1 What was the initial cost of each system (including installation if known)?

2.2 Were there any additional costs for:

• Room build or modification

• AV or projection systems

• Networking or infrastructure

2.3 How was the system purchased?

• Direct purchase

• Framework agreement

• Tender process

• Lease or subscription

• Grant funded

3. Ongoing Costs

3.1 What ongoing costs are associated with each system?

• Annual licence fees

• Maintenance or support contracts

• Content subscriptions

3.2 Is continued payment required for the system to remain fully functional?

4. Usage

4.1 Is the system currently in use?

• Yes (regular use)

• Yes (occasional use)

• Rarely used

• Not used

4.2 Approximately how often is the system used?

• Daily

• Weekly

• Monthly

• Termly

• Ad hoc only

4.3 What is the system used for? (e.g. simulation scenarios, anatomy teaching, demonstrations, skills training)

4.4 Which learner groups use the system? (e.g. medical students, nursing students, AHPs, postgraduate training)

4.5 Is the system embedded into the curriculum?

• Fully embedded

• Used in some modules

• Used occasionally

• Not embedded .

5. Actual Method of Use

5.1 For VR/AR systems, are they used primarily via:

• Headsets

• 2D screens (laptops/monitors/projectors)

• Both

5.2 For immersive rooms, are they used primarily as:

• Fully interactive immersive environments

• Passive display environments

• Standard teaching/presentation rooms

6. Interaction and Functionality

6.1 Does the system support interaction?

• No interaction (display only)

• Touch-enabled

• Tracking/gesture-based

• Controller-based

6.2 Are these interactive features used regularly?

• Yes

• Sometimes

• Rarely

• Not at all

6.3 Does the system require calibration or setup before use?

• Yes

• No

6.4 If yes, does this impact usability?

• No impact

• Minor impact

• Significant impact

7. Content

7.1 How much educational content is available for the system?

• Extensive

• Moderate

• Limited

• Minimal

7.2 Where does the content come from?

• Vendor supplied

• Internally developed

• Mixed

7.3 Was bespoke content development included in the purchase?

• Yes

• No

7.4 If yes:

• Was the content delivered?

• Is it currently used?

8. Faculty Use and Adoption

8.1 Are faculty actively using the system?

• Widely used

• Used by some

• Used by a few individuals

• Not used

8.2 Have faculty received training to use the system?

• Yes

• No

8.3 Can faculty use the system independently without technical support?

• Yes

• No

9. Issues and Barriers

9.1 Are there any known barriers to using the system? Please indicate if applicable:

• Technical issues

• System reliability

• Calibration/setup time

• Lack of time in curriculum

• Lack of faculty engagement

• Lack of content

• Complexity of system

• Lack of training

• Other (please specify)

9.2 If the system is not used or rarely used, please state the main reason.

10. Current Status

10.1 What is the current status of the system?

• Fully operational and used

• Operational but rarely used

• Installed but not used

• Decommissioned

10.2 Are there any plans to:

• Increase usage

• Replace the system

• Decommission the system

11. Evaluation

11.1 Has the organisation conducted any evaluation or review of the system?

• Yes

• No

11.2 If yes, please summarise:

• Key benefits identified

• Key limitations identified

Our response:

Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_26-080 Appendix A.

Please note that the University's Norwich Medical School records, prior to 2024, are not centralised and there is no centralised record for any immersive technologies purchased prior to 2024, which had been decommissioned and are no longer in use by the School.

There may be further systems purchased during this time; however, recorded information for such systems may only be financial records for the initial purchase of the system. A trawl of our financial records has not highlighted any further immersive technologies purchased since 2018. Without further manual review of every paid invoice and description of the invoice paid during the requested period we cannot confirm this to be true. Therefore, we have provided our responses for information held centrally by University departments currently using or had recently been using immersive technology.