Government to invest £30m in medical technology for NHS
The government has announced it is to invest £30m in medical technology (medtech) to help ease pressures on the NHS this winter, potentially including the expansion of 3D checks to speed up cancer tests and logistics solutions such as the use of drones.
Available to each region in England, NHS Integrated Care Systems will be able to invest in technology to improve services, potentially expanding virtual wards, allowing more patients to receive care at home. Over 9,800 virtual ward beds have been created.
ICSs could also invest in wearable medical devices for use by patients at home, or digital 3D and other imaging technology to bolster diagnostic tests.
Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘It is vital that clinicians have access to the latest technology to save staff time, deliver high quality care and help cut waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities.
‘This investment will see the latest tech innovations rolled out across the NHS. From virtual ward beds to wearable medical devices, patients will be better supported, and we will ease pressures on hospitals this winter.
‘We’re preparing for this winter earlier than ever before, including delivering thousands more hospital beds and hundreds of new ambulances.’
NHS interim national director of transformation Dr Vin Diwakar said: ‘The NHS’s world-leading ability to adopt new technology has already helped more than 210,000 patients be treated in their own homes through the rollout of virtual wards, and this new funding will allow the health service to adopt more innovations that improve patient care and reduce pressure on wider services.’
Integrated Care Systems will be able to submit bids to the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to access the funds so they can roll out the technology, with applications expected to open this month.
Earlier this year, the government published its medical technology strategy. This built on the £21m artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostics fund, which aims to improve access to the latest AI technology to diagnose and treat patients more quickly. NHS trusts were invited to bid for funding to accelerate the rollout of the most promising AI imaging and decision support tools to help diagnose patients more quickly for conditions such as cancer, stroke and heart conditions.
Image: Karl Greif
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