Chris Bain from Chatbot Labs says he is expecting to hold more monthly training sessions on the e-learning for healthcare portal if coronavirus cases rise again in the autumn

And IT specialist whose programming skills helped support a five-fold increase in on-line training for NHS staff as COVID-19 spread is preparing for another increase in demand.

Chris Bain from Chatbot Labs, located in The Base on Dallam Lane in Warrington, says he is expecting to hold more monthly training sessions on the e-learning for healthcare portal if there is a rise in new coronavirus infections in the autumn and winter.

He points to initial on-line sessions leaping from a monthly average of 90,000 to more than half a million before Easter as NHS staff undertook training to help them prevent the spread of the virus.

Mr Bain’s role was to provide the critical coding that enabled returning NHS staff recruited to operate the country’s Nightingale Hospitals to access training materials from home and refresh their skills.

“It was great to play a part in something so critical to the UK’s ability to deal with the pandemic. All credit to the retired and former staff who returned to the NHS at the country’s time of need,” he said.

His input enabled the new staff to draw quickly and seamlessly on the NHS’s vast databank of training materials and meant that the health service could provide new training content that staff could easily ‘self-serve’ on-line.

He and a wider team are now involved with providing critical coding that enables the seamless import of users participating in the Government’s ‘test and trace’ project.

Sylvie Morton, business development manager with Langtree which manages The Base for owner Warrington & Co, added: “We have the skills here in Warrington to deal with the most challenging technical issues.  Being at The Base enables Chris to tap into a wider network of expertise to deliver his game-changing work.”