The UK government has awarded £12 million in funding for projects utilising innovative technologies such as AI, VR and wearable sensors in supporting people with drug addictions and reducing drug-related deaths.
Projects receiving funding include a remote monitoring platform capable of detecting respiratory issues related to opioid overdose, featuring a biosensor paired with a mobile device which allows for “the immediate alerting” of local naloxone carriers and emergency services. Another project uses a wristband to monitor vital signs such as body temperature and movement patterns to detect a potential overdose, sending alerts via the wearer’s smartphone to an emergency contact.
A VR project developed by King’s College London is also being piloted to help address cravings and prevent relapse for people with cocaine dependence, testing the ability of “technology-enhanced CET” to help reduce cravings.
As well as funding research, the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme is “exploring ways to make better use of addiction healthcare data” in the development of new treatments, and working toward making the UK “a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions”.
“From wearable technology to AI-powered tools, these innovative projects highlight the power of collaboration in delivering life-saving treatments,” Science Minister Lord Vallance said. “By investing in these partnerships, we are tackling addiction head-on and ensuring that cutting-edge science reaches those who need it most, improving public health across the UK.”
Further information on the funded projects is available here.
Innovation and funding across the NHS
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust published a new strategy running to 2030, highlighting expectations around the potential offered by the next decade of digital advancements and sharing plans around EPR optimisation, attracting and funding healthcare innovation, and utilising artificial intelligence and and automation responsibly.
Scottish healthcare innovators are being encouraged to apply for the third year of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, with applications set to close on 29 October ready for the programme to commence in early 2025. Applications are welcomed from NHS workforce staff and those providing NHS services, with early stage ideas welcome provided they have been “given careful consideration”.
HTN’s special report explored the landscape of digital healthcare in Scotland, looking at current developments and to the future, as well as speaking to representatives from the Scottish Government, NHS National Services Scotland and Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, to hear their views on projects and priorities.
The UK’s Centre for Process Innovation also opened applications for a £4 million medtech fund designed to support SMEs in commercialising new products and meeting new regulatory requirements, with up to £30,000 available for successful applicants.
And let’s not forget our very own Health Tech Awards for 2024, which celebrated some of the incredible innovation and collaboration taking place in all corners of UK health and care, making a real difference to patients and staff. Check out our winners here!
Patient-facing tech
For a recent HTN Now panel discussion on the topic of patient engagement, we were joined by a panel of experts to talk about current priorities and projects in patient-facing tech, to share learnings on adopting patient-centred processes and solutions, and to highlight outcomes and challenges around engaging patients with support from digital.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also recently opened applications for its AI Airlock pilot, offering innovators the chance to benefit from expert support and sandbox testing for medical devices utilising AI. Launched in spring of 2024, the AI Airlock programme is described by the MHRA as “a proactive, collaborative, agile and the first of its kind approach to identifying and addressing the challenges faced by AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD)”.
And at the end of September, NHS England published a strategy detailing the primary care implementation of the NHS patient safety strategy, noting the role of digital and data in areas such as automatically flagging patient safety issues to support reliability, and supporting clinical decision-making by digitally embedding diagnosis advice and safety netting.
