Our first news in brief round-up in September is here. Ahead of a busy month at HTN, we’ll reveal the finalists in the Health Tech Awards 2021, host the latest edition in the HTN Now event series, publish our print edition, and as usual release lots of interviews, features, an industry reaction article and our trends series reports.
Before then, we cover some news from around health and care…
Digital staff bank launched by NHS Northamptonshire
NHS Northamptonshire has launched a new staff bank with Lantum, aiming to create a system-wide, multidisciplinary staff bank.
The staff bank will provide a large pool of staff, initially to include GPs and then to expand to practice nurses and ANPs.
New app introduced by The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS FT
A new app has been introduced by the trust that will guide patients through their hip and knee replacement programme. Called ‘JointCare’ the tool takes a ‘wellness’ approach to hip and knee recovery, by providing tips, advice, and guidance whenever a patient needs it.
The app will be used for a patient to track their personal progress and help to celebrate their achievements as they progress through their recovery. The JointCare physical handbook content is included in the app alongside videos, as well as pain and exercise diaries.
The app is currently in the final stages of development and will be piloted to a small group of patients, with a full roll-out expected soon.
Alicia Stanton, Project Manager for JointCare, said: “We are thrilled to be launching a JointCare app. Everything needed to support the patient journey will be available at the touch of a button and the information provided in the patient diaries will also be used by our team to help inform future improvements to the programme.”
HTN recently hosted the digital team at the trust as part of HTN Now June, to explore the trust’s digital programmes. You can read a full summary of their presentation here.
CW+ and North West London ICS receives £1.1 million funding boost
CW+ and North West London ICS/STP have benefited from £1.1 million from NHS Charities Together to support shielding and vulnerable people affected by COVID-19 with digital access to health, care and community resources.
Over the next two years the funding will support the region to deliver the digital inclusion and innovation projects including:
- Working with Open Age, a charity that champions an active life for older people, and its partners, including AgeUK and local libraries, CW+ will produce personalised support plans for older patients, matching them with partner organisations that can help reduce barriers to digital access
- In partnership with West London NHS Trust and its partners on Powering Recovery, CW+ will engage with patients in Ealing to support digital consultations using equipment, apps and technology – helping to bridge the digital divide and increase the range of clinical interventions available for patients
- Together with Hiyos Practice, CW+ will launch a live webinar channel offering patients two hours of live and pre-recorded interactive webinar sessions on exercise, mindfulness, and gardening for health, as well as sessions addressing key factors in health inequalities, such as social isolation, education, social services, chronic illness, and employment.
A new digital wound monitoring solution launched across Greater Manchester
“WoundPad” is being backed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, a solution developed by Dr Ken Dunn, an Honorary Burns and Plastics Consultant in collaboration with the University of Manchester, and software consultancy firm, Medical Data Solutions and Services (MDSAS) Ltd.
The digital platform allows patients and community-based healthcare teams to upload photos to an app, and any other information relevant regarding their treatment. The information can then be accessed by specialist care providers in the Greater Manchester region.
The platform was recently awarded £42,000 in funding from Manchester’s Health Innovations Momentum Fund, and is currently being piloted across three community teams in north, south and central Manchester.
Innovate UK £3 million competition to develop digital regulatory navigation platform
Innovate UK has announced details of a £3 million competition to develop a digital regulatory navigation platform for health products.
The aim of the competition is to support proof of concept projects to develop an intuitive medical device digital regulatory navigation tool, to enable users to explore the regulatory pathways for the healthcare product they are developing. It also will provide users with information and access to UK support structures that are relevant to their commercial research and development.
It’s hoped the platform will support innovators navigate regulatory pathways and gain clarity about evidence requirements.
To support organisations, Innovate UK are launching a £3 million SBRI competition. Applicants must focus on medical device and in-vitro diagnostic UKCA & CE Mark requirements and consider externally maintained nomenclatures such as GMDN AGENCY (Global Medical Device Nomenclature Agency), SNOMED International, Notified Body Operations Group (NBOG).
1 million medicines administered at Leicester via Nervecentre
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has celebrated a milestone of one million medicines administered using Nervcentre.
Earlier in the year HTN spoke with the team at Leicester, to discuss their electronic prescribing and medicines administration programme, the roll-out, go-live, learnings and successes. You can read the interview here.
North Tees and Hartlepool receives GDE recognition
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has been officially recognised for its contributions to the Global Digital Exemplar programme, three years on after joining the programme.
Following the announcement last month that the organisation had been accredited as a national digital leader, NHSX and NHS Digital colleagues presented the accreditation during a virtual ceremony.
Professor Graham Evans, Chief Information and Technology Officer, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS FT, commented: “It has been really fantastic to be able to officially receive and celebrate our award from NHSX and NHS Digital, and to showcase just some of the many projects our staff have been involved in over the past three years.
“Our journey is by no means over, however, this official acknowledgement is a huge boost for our trust and will help continue to inspire our drive towards even greater digital innovation.
“I’d like to thank our NHS Digital Programme Manager Karen Smith, and also to thank the members of NHSX and NHS Digital teams who virtually joined us to celebrate and present our award today.”
