Our Innovation hub

www.trustech.org.uk 

TrusTECH The NW NHS Innovation Hub provides advice on and assistance with managing innovation arising from all aspects of the NHS healthcare provision. As one of the first NHS Innovations Hubs to be established, TrusTECH has a wealth of experience in Innovation Management.

TrusTECH works with NHS staff across all disciplines and has experience in managing a diverse range of innovative ideas, including those in the following fields:

• Biotechnology
• Diagnostics and therapeutics
• Medical devices and equipment
• Software
• Training and educational materials
• Service delivery

As an Innovation Hub, TrusTECH is an advisor to NHS Trusts, helping them to meet the obligations of the Department of Health (DH) policy on managing Intellectual Property (IP) arising from within the NHS. The DH has issued guidance on the management of IP in the NHS and TrusTECH works with Trusts to meet the requirements of these documents.

TrusTECH, provides services to both NHS and commercial organisations throughout the North West. TrusTECH is ideally placed to connect the NHS with the latest academic research and commercial technologies and works to develop and support partnerships between the NHS, industry and academia, to encourage innovative product development.

Through a range of consultancy services, TrusTECH provides access to the clinical base that companies in the healthcare sector need to develop a market-leading product. They help commercial organisations with:

• Market Research
• Partner Introduction
• Product Development
• Trials Facilitation

A recent market research study was completed for a commercial organisation on behalf of MIDAS – Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency. David Blower from MIDAS stated – “The quality of the report was in my opinion outstanding and extremely good value for money. It provided extremely valuable and relevant information to our client.”

Smart Solutions for HCAISmart Solutions for HCAI

Smart Solutions is an NHS programme run by TrusTECH to find new ways to help combat healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). Businesses were invited from all industry sectors to put forward suitable products and technologies to be assessed by their team of experts, with a view to evaluating them in a hospital setting and potentially supplying them across the NHS.

Nine products were selected from over 250 applications and are currently being evaluated in a hospital settings nationally with a view to supplying them across the NHS if they prove to be effective.  Read More

For more information visit: http://www.smartsolutionsforhcai.co.uk/

ACTNoW® - Accelerating Clinical Trials across the Northern Way

ACTNoW® is hosted by NHS Innovations across the Northern Way:

• TrusTECH (North West, www.trustech.org.uk);
• Medipex (Yorkshire and Humber, www.medipex.co.uk); and
• NHS Innovations North (NorthEast of England, www.nhsinnovationsnorth.org.uk).

The ACTNoW® online database is an invaluable clinical research resource for Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industries, Academia and the NHS. It is a web-based tool created to facilitate the placement of clinical trials in the NHS by signposting key clinical expertise and trial-experienced NHS investigators.  Read More

For more information visit: http://actnow-database.co.uk/

The TrusTECH North West NHS Innovation Competition

The TrusTECH North West NHS Innovation Competition, which is held annually, was launched in 2002 and is the only scheme dedicated to rewarding North West NHS Innovators. It aims to identify individuals and teams working for the NHS whose ideas or inventions have directly led to or could lead to improvements in patient care.

The awards are open to anyone with an employment or honorary contract with a North West NHS organisation and four categories are available to enter:

1. Training or Educational Materials

2. Medical Device, Equipment, Diagnostics, or Therapeutics

3. Software/Systems

4. Service Innovations or Developments

Each year TrusTECH receives over 100 entries from a wide range of NHS staff including doctors/nurses, consultants, and clinical engineers/scientists to name but a few highlighting the wealth of innovation happening within the NHS in our region. Examples of these innovations are detailed above.

The TrusTECH North West NHS Innovation Competition 2008

Launched on 1st May 2008, the competition received more than 100 entries across four categories for consideration by a judging panel of sixteen experts from within the NHS, professional media and specialist commercial companies. It was this independent judging panel that selected the twelve finalists – three for each category.

All entries were also entered into two further categories sponsored by NHS North West, for ‘Best Innovative team’ and ‘Best Contribution to Delivery of World Class Healthcare Services’.  Read More

TrusTECH North West NHS Innovation Competition 2009

The 2009 North West NHS Innovation Competition will be launched at 12:00 midday of Tuesday 19 May 2009 with the deadline for applications to be received no later than 5pm on Friday 24 July 2009.

TrusTECH, the NW Innovation Hub, hosted the innovation awards ceremony during the Championing Innovation conference and the successful winners were:

• NHS Ashton, Wigan and Leigh for their ScanSpeak software enabling children to improve their speech and language skills.
• Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s NHS Trust for their MR VICTOR wound healing assessment tool.
• University Hospitals of South Manchester FT for their Cough monitor to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments.
• Greater Manchester West Mental Health FT for their innovative programme on ensuring the physical wellbeing of patients receives equal attention during their enduring mental health problems.

Transforming Community services recently announced 4 awards totalling over £150,000 to recognise front-line innovation:

• NHS Bolton patient experience for service design in musculoskeletal CATs
• NHS Central Lancashire for social marketing smoking and obesity reduction ‘Packs and Pounds
• NHS Sefton for rolling out public health qualifications to front-line staff
• NHS Warrington for intensive support to vulnerable families.