The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is launching a new competition to establish NIHR Healthcare Technology Co-operatives (HTCs). These centres of expertise will be focused in clinical areas or themes of high morbidity and unmet need for NHS patients. Working collaboratively with industry, they will lead to the development of new medical devices, healthcare technologies or technology-dependent interventions, which improve treatment and quality of life for patients.

This new scheme builds on learning from a pilot scheme that funded two HTCs from 2008. Their innovations include a dignity bidet commode developed for stroke survivors which won an NHS Innovation Award in 2009, and the APPEAR and SMART surgical procedures and instrumentation for bowel surgery which was awarded the prestigious Cutlers’ Surgical Award in 2011.

Professor Dame Sally C. Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health said:
“The National Institute for Health Research Healthcare Technology Co-operatives competition announced today will help to identify clinical issues from a front line service perspective and devise technology-based solutions to address them.

These centres of expertise will act as a catalyst for the development of much-needed new medical devices, healthcare technologies and/or technology-dependent interventions.”

A briefing meeting for potential applicants will be held on the 29 February 2012.  

The closing date for submission of the Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire by NHS Trusts in England, is 19 April 2012.

Further information about the HTC competition and how to apply.  

Read the press release.

 
23 January 2012