Call for innovators to develop devices needed by NHS
A search has been launched by the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC) to find technologies to address challenges faced by frontline clinicians within the NHS.
As part of its Innovation Exchange initiative, AHSN NENC is calling on innovators to come up with solutions to measure renal function, and to remotely monitor neonatal temperature, with funding available for the development of such solutions.
Development of a device to enable patients to safely and accurately self-test their own kidney function at home could have benefits for both patients and the NHS. It would also align with the recently published NHS Long Term Plan, which sets out how the NHS will move towards a new service model in which patients get more options, better support, and properly joined-up care at the right time, and in optimal care settings.
There is also the need for a device that has the ability to remotely monitor neonatal temperature. The solution must be safe, transportable, effective and efficient.
Maintaining normal body temperature in a newborn is an essential basic need in the first 24 hours of life. A solution which can monitor temperature remotely could transform care for newborn babies and could help prevent/detect hypothermia, which is a significant contributor to neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Innovators from all areas - whether businesses, individuals, universities, NHS teams or charities - who are interested in forming collaborations to develop these solutions are being encouraged to apply.
Dr Nicola Wesley, deputy chief executive at the AHSN NENC, said: “These calls are addressing very real challenges faced by the NHS today. We’re hopeful that the solutions exist, whether they’re new innovations or existing technologies applied to different settings but with the potential to be modified and adapted into a healthcare setting. If the solutions don’t exist yet, we’re also open to supporting the co-creation of solutions between the NHS and partners.
“We’d like to hear from innovators across all sectors, in any location, if they have a device or an idea which can help provide a solution to either the renal or neonatal unmet needs.”
The Innovation Exchange initiative sees AHSNs act as a broker between businesses and the NHS to simply the often-complex process of accessing the NHS market.
The successful innovators from these calls will receive bespoke assistance from the AHSN NENC and will be guided through the Innovation Pathway to develop the solutions.
The deadline for applications for the neonatal call is Friday 22nd February 2019 and the renal call deadline is Friday 1st March 2019. Applications will be reviewed and those shortlisted will be invited to present to a panel of industry experts.
For more information on how to apply to the unmet needs calls and important dates, visit: