Call for Innovators: Improving Patient Flow and Discharge Through Digital Innovations

The Business Support Programme

The business support programme is split into five stages (listed below) whereby we will work with innovators to review their technology, product application and develop the business case. As we move through the stages, the number of innovators will be reduced as we select the innovators with the most impactful and implementation ready products to progress. For the final stage we will select 4 products to receive product development and technical support worth up to £50,000 each in commercial value to develop the product to reach the technology maturity required for adoption into a healthcare setting. 

Finally, 2 out of these 4 products which are deemed to have the greatest impact on patient flow and discharge will be trialled and deployed in a real-world healthcare setting (hospital or a care home) providing a fantastic opportunity to showcase the scalability of your innovation to key clinical and purchasing leaders within the NHS. 

The Patient Flow and Discharge Challenge

Patient flow refers to the movement of patients through the healthcare system, from admission to discharge. It involves managing the timely and efficient transition of patients between different stages of care, ensuring that they receive appropriate treatment without unnecessary delays. Effective patient flow enhances the overall patient experience, reduces wait times, and optimises resource utilisation. 

Discharge, a critical component of this process, involves preparing patients for a safe and effective transition back to their home or the next level of care. A smooth discharge process is essential for improving patient outcomes, preventing readmissions, and facilitating continuity of care. 

The quality of a patient’s care, and the speed at which it is provided, is highly dependent on the effective cross departmental coordination of patients, data, technology and staff at these transition points. Inefficiencies at any one point can impact patient flow throughout the whole system. Hospital discharges can be a particular bottleneck at the final stage in a patient’s pathway – when they are either sent home, transitioned to a rehabilitation setting, or moved to a long-term placement in an alternative care facility. Delays at this stage can create significant inefficiencies across other parts of the system. The flipside of this, of course, is that if the health system can improve patient flow and discharge, there are numerous benefits to be realised, including shorter waiting times, greater bed capacity, and a reduced burden on staff. 

Digital health and digital transformation technologies are forming a key part of the solution to achieve improvements towards the cost and care challenges aligned to patient flow and discharge. From mobile health and health information to telehealth and telemedicine, as well as precision medicine, these technologies have a wide range of potential uses, including applications that support general wellness as well as medical devices for monitoring specific health conditions. 

This programme is seeking to address the unmet needs identified and chosen in the competition summary above by providing the opportunity for innovators to develop and scale their digital health innovations into the NHS and social care settings. 

How to apply

Complete the application form. Applications will be reviewed by the project team, who will select between 20 and 40 innovative companies to bring into the business support programme.

Eligibility

To be eligible for selection you must be a UK based company developing an innovative product which uses technology to address one of the 5 challenges listed above (and you must have the capacity to receive the support as Minimal Financial Assistance under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. 

This programme is funded by the North East Combined Authority, and is designed to deliver investment and growth to the North East region. Businesses from anywhere in the UK can apply on the understanding that we are working towards implementing innovative solutions into a healthcare setting in the North East region. If the programme is over-subscribed we may give preference to companies operating in the North East Combined Authority catchment area. 

Terms and conditions

If the number of applications exceeds the capacity, we will select those most closely aligned to the project scope, with the potential to deliver the greatest impact. We reserve the right to apply a portfolio approach to ensure a range of use cases. We will carry out some due diligence checks on successful applicants which may include a credit check. 

Public grant funding

The 5G Innovation business support programme is being run on behalf of North East Combined Authority. It is vitally important we can evidence that public funding is used correctly, therefore, we do need to request information that gives us a minimum level of assurance. Download more information on your eligibility for public grant funding.

How is 5G technology used in healthcare?

The 5G Innovation Programme has been awarded by The North East Combined Authority. The following organisations have been selected to facilitate the programme to provide expert commercialisation support and market access opportunities: 

• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

• The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board 

• Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria 

• Waymark

• Boldyn Networks

• CPI
  

The programme is designed to fast-track disruptive digital solutions, supporting 5G infrastructure development across the UK healthcare market. 

5G and other high bandwidth technologies can be used within healthcare to optimise operations, resources and facilities. Applications include telemedicine, remote consultations, remote surgery, training, continuous patient monitoring, data collection, collaborative diagnosis, and treatment planning. 

Advanced digital technologies offer many potential benefits for healthcare innovation due to its reliable and secure connectivity, high-speed transmission, low latency, and capacity to connect numerous devices simultaneously. 

More information

If you require any further clarification,please do not hesitate to contact Steven Bagshaw or connect on LinkedIn.

Submissions for this programme will close on Thursday 31st October 2024.

Apply for the competition.