Industry news in brief

The latest Digital Health News industry round-up features news three digital health companies have been supported by the Health Innovation Manchester Momentum Fund and a Yorkshire accelerator programme is aiming to go green.

Health Innovation Manchester Momentum Fund supports three healthcare companies

Three companies with digital health solutions have been awarded a share of £140,000 as part of a funding call to accelerate innovations in Greater Manchester.

A digital platform to support remote monitoring of complex wounds; an app to help young adults and adolescents manage their type 1 diabetes; and a speech recognition app with machine learning for people with speech impairments were successful as part of the 2020-2021 Health Innovation Manchester Momentum Fund.

The Momentum Fund was established to support the adoption and spread of needs-led, evidence-based innovations in the health and care system. The focus of this year’s funding call was ‘the remote management of post-acute Covid-19 and/or chronically ill patients at home’.

The winners were WoundPad from MDSAS, Nudg from LovedBy and Voiceitt from Technologies of Voice Interface.

Richard Deed, associate commercial director industry at Health Innovation Manchester said: “Greater Manchester key opinion leaders, including clinical experts, commissioners and patient representatives were involved throughout the process, including helping to define the initial priority areas and shortlisting and interviewing the applicants.

“We are really excited to work with these companies and their GM clinical partners to accelerate these innovative solutions to address the specific health and social care problems they address.”

UK’s first healthcare training app launched

Newcross Healthcare has launched Newcross World, a new app-based training platform with simulated working environments on the healthcare provider’s established HealthForceGo app, currently used by 8,500 staff.

The new app provides a visual representation of the care and medical settings in which staff work – such as hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools – so that they can undertake relevant modular training courses.

A new Virtual Shift for Complex Care at home was also launched as part of the app. The virtual shifts use computer gaming technology to provide immersive, interactive experiences that train nurses and carers to better assess an individual’s physical, clinical and emotional needs.

The shifts feature several scenarios, all of which are based on real life situations that have been blended to provide the best learning possible in a simulated environment.

Michelle Gorringe, COO of Newcross Healthcare, said: “I have a background in nursing myself, so I know how nurses and carers struggle to balance their personal and professional lives and how hard it is to find time for training and career development.

“I also understand how challenging it can be to gain the clinical skills required to work in new care environments.

“Newcross World creates a pioneering, virtual learning environment in which nurses and carers can develop their careers, helping us to deliver outstanding care in a way that is kind, thoughtful and dignified.”

Accelerator programme aims to reduce carbon footprint

A new innovation accelerator programme that seeks to support the NHS’ commitment to reduce its carbon impact has been launched by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

Propel@YH Net Zero is calling for small and medium-sized enterprises that either have new innovations or existing products that can support the NHS in reducing its environmental impact and achieving its ambition of having ‘net zero’ emissions by 2040.

Commissioned by West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership and delivered by Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, the Propel@YH Net Zero pilot programme will provide its 2021 participants with access to a structured course of support and advice tailored to their needs.

Kathy Scott, deputy chief executive at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “The AHSN fully supports the green agenda. Innovation has an important role in helping the NHS to achieve its ambition to be the world’s first ‘net zero’ health service and so we are really excited to launch Propel@YH Net Zero.

“We can help SMEs with a healthcare innovation and an interest in sustainability to have greater visibility in the NHS across West Yorkshire.

“Our three-month programme will provide up to four organisations with unique and tailored guidance and support and participants will benefit from our connections within the health and care system to enable them to bring their innovative green solutions to the region.”

Amgen and Liva Healthcare partner for cardiac rehab

Amgen, a biotechnology firm, and Liva Healthcare, a European market leader in scalable digital health coaching, have announced a new partnership to make cardiac rehabilitation accessible to more patients in the immediate aftermath of a heart attack.

Amgen and Liva Healthcare will be supported by a consortium of EU bodies to co-create an innovative digital tele-rehabilitation solution called Rehab+.

It will support patients for more than one year, helping them to transition from a passive recovery mindset into an active one of self-care. Rehab+ is designed to help individuals assess their lifestyle post-heart attack, set personal objectives to reduce their cardiac risk, and establish long-lasting positive lifestyle changes.

André Sode, CEO of Liva Healthcare, said: “Amgen is addressing a significant gap in cardiac recovery. We are delighted to partner with Amgen, and a powerful collective of purpose-driven organisations, to help improve the lives of people who have had a heart attack.

“By combining our technology and the expertise of Amgen and the consortium of partners, we can make cardiac rehabilitation easily accessible to more people, empowering them to stay engaged with their own health and, ultimately, reduce their risk of a next heart attack.”

CliniSys rebrands across UK and Europe

CliniSys Group has created a single brand for its businesses in the UK and Europe, with a refreshed logo and a new website.

The move creates a unified identity for CliniSys in the UK and MIPS on the continent and underlines the group’s commitment to providing end-to-end diagnostic systems to support safe and effective healthcare systems today and to drive medical innovation in the future.

CliniSys | MIPS will be the new brand for MIPS across Europe. It will remain as CliniSys in the UK with a refreshed logo.

Chair and chief executive Michael Simpson said: “The CliniSys Group is the largest diagnostic laboratory IT vendor in Europe. Our combined cross-discipline expertise, spanning more than 40 years, provides our customers with solutions that span the diagnostic journey.

“We have reached this position by following our core values: customer, promises, simplicity and teamwork – a commitment to providing customers with the best possible products, services and support.

“From late March, we have a new look but our values remain steadfast, and we look forward to continuing to care for our customers while working with them on the innovative solutions that we will all need for the future.”