Tag: health innovation

Improving health through innovation

Funding for scientific and technological health projects

More than £6 million will be invested as part of the Accelerated National Innovations Adoption (ANIA) programme to help people with type 2 Diabetes, stroke patients and babies born with a rare genetic condition.

A national digital intensive weight management programme will support 3,000 people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With £4.5 million invested over three years the project is expected to help around 40% to achieve remission from the condition by the end of their first year in the programme.

Two additional projects will look at pharmacogenetics – how a person’s genetics affect their response to certain drugs.

A total of £1.1 million will support testing of recent stroke patients to determine if they have a genetic variation that impairs the benefits of a drug commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of secondary stroke and which would mean an alternative drug should be considered for them.

A programme to provide a genetic test for newborn babies will also receive £800,000 funding to determine if they have a genetic variation which puts them at risk of permanent hearing loss if they are treated with a common emergency antibiotic.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Neil Gray said: “In January the First Minister laid out our vision for Scotland’s NHS with digital innovation being a crucial part of our plans to reform health services.

“So I am pleased to announce funding for these projects which demonstrate the transformative potential of scientific and technological innovation to improve health and social care.

“These projects have life changing effects for those who will benefit from them, resulting in improved health outcomes and a better quality of life.

“Innovation is transforming healthcare and delivering medical benefits for the people of Scotland and the NHS, which will see reduced pressures as a direct result of projects just like these.”

Chief Executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, Gordon James, said: “”The approval of these innovative projects through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway is a significant step in delivering transformative innovations at scale to benefit patients all across Scotland.

“Lead by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), this project to deliver the diabetes remission programmes, pharmacogenetic testing for stroke, and genetic testing for newborns was an incredible example of collaboration from NHS organisations and colleagues to deliver the highest possible standard of patient care.

“The ANIA pathway is an initiative by NHS Scotland aimed at expediting the integration of high-impact innovations into healthcare services, and that’s exactly these new programmes will offer for more patients across Scotland than ever before.”

Chief Scientist, Prof Dame Anna Dominiczak said: “Scotland’s triple helix of industry, academia and our NHS are working in partnership to lead a scientific revolution which has the power to transform healthcare. 

“These are excellent examples of research enabled, clinically beneficial and cost-effective innovations, which should be prioritised for national adoption”

Webinar examines the key role of higher education in supporting enhanced healthcare innovation

InnoScot Health’s last ‘lunch & learn’ session for the first half of 2024 is entitled Engaging students in healthcare innovation for an improved NHS and will provide interesting perspectives on this key facet of turning ideas into health service improvements. 

Hosted on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 26 June from 12 until 12.45pm, the free to join webinar will be introduced by Innovation Manager, Fiona Schaefer. 

She will discuss InnoScot Health’s work over the past two years in providing more than 10 teams of students from Heriot-Watt University Engineering Design and Manufacture and Glasgow School of Art’s product design manufacture students with real world project briefs from NHS innovators. 

Fiona will be joined by two guest speakers: 

  • Dr Faezeh Shalchy, Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences who has been providing academic support to engineering design and manufacturing students working on healthcare projects 
  • Lorraine Thomson, Business Engagement Manager at Interface who works with organisations to match them to Scotland’s world-leading academic expertise, helping to turn innovative ideas into reality 

Fiona said: “Over the past couple of years, InnoScot Health has successfully engaged with students at Heriot-Watt University and Glasgow School of Art. This has resulted in enduring collaborative relationships and this webinar will provide a showcase of successes to date. 

“We’re also delighted to have great guest speakers – Dr Shalchy who is a forward-thinking engineer specialising in projects which aim to enhance lives. 

“Interface will also provide engaging views which draw on its role as a central hub connecting industry and academia, often leading to enhanced healthcare innovation. 

“A Q&A section will round off the webinar, allowing attendees to probe and receive guidance on their own particular areas of interest.” 

“While InnoScot Health is pausing its webinar series for the summer holiday season and recommencing in late August, we’re already looking to the autumn for innovation challenges which could suit engagement with engineering students to explore a new concept, test ideas, or explore solutions to a pressing problem.” 

Tech partnership boosts health innovation

Linking business and clinical expertise

Innovative companies will be able to trial new health products in clinical settings across the country following a link-up between the Scottish Government’s £42 million Techscaler programme and the NHS.

Participants in the programme, which provides world class expertise and support to young businesses with high growth potential, are being offered access to NHS Regional Test Beds. These enable entrepreneurs to work alongside clinicians and have access to patients and anonymised data to test ideas, products and services.

And in a reciprocal agreement, firms already using the NHS Test Beds will automatically become part of the Techscaler network.

Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray announced the move during a visit to Bioliberty in Edinburgh, which uses robotics to provide rehabilitation and assistance for stroke survivors.

The company will be one of 14 firms in sectors including healthtech and life sciences to join a Scottish Government-funded visit to New York to showcase their work.

Mr Gray said: “Scotland’s life sciences sector has an annual turnover of more than £8 billion and is one of our key sectors for transformative economic growth. This partnership will be able to leverage our world-leading universities, life sciences hubs and excellent healthcare systems to support the growth of the sector and development of entrepreneurs.

“Testing products in a real world environment and accelerating development is vital, and will enable a broader reach of the Tech Scaler programme. This in turn will benefit patients and medical staff as they develop cutting-edge technology for use across the NHS, from stroke and rehabilitation through to reducing drug-related deaths.

“It is a further example of the steps we are taking as we develop a sustainable, high-skill economy that works for everyone.”

Chief Scientist (Health) Anna Dominiczak said: “I welcome this collaboration, which will result in transformative innovations for the NHS and help to ensure that Scotland is the best location for life sciences companies.”

Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur Mark Logan said: “By making this connection between health testing and business support, we create an environment for innovation which enables Scottish companies to compete effectively, whilst bringing much-needed treatment solutions to the NHS.”