ABHI welcomes HTC announcement

Healthcare Technology Co-operatives - providing a boost for patients with debilitating diseases

Published: 02/06

LONDON, UK - (HealthTech Wire) - Dawn Primarolo, the Minister for Public Health, has launched a pilot initiative that will bring patients with debilitating diseases such as incontinence or renal failure together with doctors, scientists and manufacturers to help develop new technology and healthcare products in these areas.

The two pilots, called Healthcare Technology Co-operatives, will each receive £275,000 a year for the first two years, with the potential for further funding if successful. This funding has been provided through a range of organisations working together with a shared goal.

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said:

"This is an area of health research which has traditionally been under-funded and slow. These pilots will help change that and should have a real positive impact of the lives of people with debilitating diseases.

"New medical technologies are an important part of delivering healthcare for the 21st century. It's vital that new products are designed with patients' needs in mind. These new collaborations between the NHS, academia, industry, patients and carers hold tremendous promise to improve patient care in these key clinical areas."

Science and Innovation Minister, Ian Pearson, said:

"The UK is a world-leader in healthcare technology, with a strong life sciences research base, a mature biopharmaceuticals industry and top-quality medical device companies. Developing our capabilities further offers us the chance to improve people's quality of life, while creating real opportunities for UK business."

The two HTCs will be based at Barts and the London NHS Trust and Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.

The pilot HTCs fulfil a recommendation of the Healthcare Industries Taskforce and are a result of collaboration between the NIHR, the Association of British Healthcare Industries, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board, working with patient groups and clinicians.