NHS Innovations London
Encyclopedia
NHS Innovations London (NHSIL) is part of a national network of NHS Innovation Hubs that were established to provide services to the NHS to help Trusts identify, protect and develop their ideas. The activities of the NHS Innovations Hubs are coordinated by the National Innovation Centre, part of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
. Many innovations are best implemented by making them freely available through normal knowledge management
processes. However, some innovations are inventions that can only be realised through commercial development, and for these the professional management of the associated intellectual property
is needed.
One of the main functions of NHSIL is to unlock the full potential of healthcare opportunities by providing the funding
and business capabilities to help bring these ideas to market. NHSIL's role is to help commercialise the best ideas for the benefit of patients and society.
NHSIL operates on a membership basis with NHS Trusts throughout the London region. They service NHS Foundation Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, Primary Care Trusts including Teaching PCTs and Research Consortia in the region.
NHS Innovations London was granted certification of incorporation to become a company limited by guarantee
on 13 December 2006.
.
Since the launch of the Proof of Concept Fund, over 20 projects from London Trusts have been allocated over £500,000.
Recent Proof of Concept fund allocations have covered the development of projects in the following areas:
The Proof of Concept Fund is open to all NHS staff with no restriction on the field of technology
or invention
.
companies or partnering in product design
, product development, prototype
manufacturing
, regulatory affairs and distribution.
NHSIL puts its projects through an evaluation process (Xpedite), ensuring that all innovations receive a detailed market assessment, a technical validation and are properly protected.
NHSIL assesses the need for a product by identifying “champions” within the field and asking them to confirm the usefulness and uniqueness of the product - and in some cases perform limited trials. The benefits of this process is twofold: confirmation that the product is of real value and an endorsement from leading clinicians in the field.
NHSIL partners with both SMEs and large commercial
organisations to enable the transfer of new innovations from the NHS into healthcare markets on the most favorable terms. They also seek to build long term partnerships with key players in specific markets to increase the efficiency of the commercialisation process and facilitate the development of interactive relationships between clinicians and technology experts.
(DIUS) was formed to take over some of the functions of the disbanded Department for Education and Skills and Department of Trade and Industry.
NHS Innovations London was formerly funded by the Office of Science and Technology
at the Department of Trade and Industry.
NHS Innovations London (NHSIL) was awarded £ 2.3 million under PSRE2 for the period 2004–2007 and a further £ 1.5 million under PSRE3 for the period 2006–2009 to provide funding to manage innovations and Intellectual property coming from NHS Trusts in London and also to provide Proof-of Concept support to migrate products towards commercialisation.
provides annual funding to NHS Innovations London via the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
for services to NHS Trusts in the London region for the identification, protection and management of innovations and intellectual property that benefit patient health care and result in the generation of revenues for the Trusts
(LDA) works to build a thriving economy for London's communities and businesses. They support the growth of new and existing businesses and the creation of new jobs by investing more than £300 million a year in London.
The LDA focuses their investment on areas of greatest need and greatest potential, so that all Londoners can gain from and contribute to London's success.
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement is a special health authority of the National Health Service in England. It "supports the NHS to transform healthcare for patients and the public by rapidly developing and spreading new ways of working, new technology and world-class...
. Many innovations are best implemented by making them freely available through normal knowledge management
Knowledge management
Knowledge management comprises a range of strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences...
processes. However, some innovations are inventions that can only be realised through commercial development, and for these the professional management of the associated intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
is needed.
One of the main functions of NHSIL is to unlock the full potential of healthcare opportunities by providing the funding
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
and business capabilities to help bring these ideas to market. NHSIL's role is to help commercialise the best ideas for the benefit of patients and society.
NHSIL operates on a membership basis with NHS Trusts throughout the London region. They service NHS Foundation Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, Primary Care Trusts including Teaching PCTs and Research Consortia in the region.
NHS Innovations London was granted certification of incorporation to become a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
on 13 December 2006.
Organisational and operational structure
NHSIL project staff is split into 4 different specialist areas that operate in cross-functional teams for project works. These areas can be split into the following categories- NHS Trust Liaison: NHSIL Partner Liaison Managers each liaise with 10-20 Trusts within the LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
region, providing a range services, including management of new disclosures, IP training session , Technology Scouting (audits) and development of active IP projects. Partnership Liaison Managers are also responsible for assessing disclosures at the feasibility stage to ascertain whether ideas are likely to be patentable. Partnership Liaison Managers develop strong working relationship with IP Leads in each Trust and also identify potential internal “champions” in each department, as appropriate. - IP Management: Intellectual Property Managers, with specialisations in medical devices, equipment, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, file provide advice on IPR such as design rights, copy rights and trade marks. They also provide technical evaluation of new IP, including comparisons with other technologies and products, as well as recommendations on the improvement of new IP and its patentabilityPatentabilityWithin the context of a national or multilateral body of law, an invention is patentable if it meets the relevant legal conditions to be granted a patent...
by working with external IP and legal advisors. Their overall position is to manage the IP process, including validation, definition, filing and protection of patents and protection of trademarks/copyrights. - Virtual Product Development: Currently, one Development Project Manager manages all external product development, including liaison with external vendors and the originating Trust. Development Project Managers identify IT, IM, software, database and telecoms related products and IP arising in the London NHS Trusts and potential other new technology-related sources of IP. Where applicable, they are also involved with the assessment of the key routes and partners to commercialisation, e.g. through licensing, OEM, company formation or other relationships.
- Business Development & Marketing: NHSIL's Director of Business Development and Business AnalystBusiness analystA Business Analyst analyzes the organization and design of businesses, government departments, and non-profit organizations; BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology.-Levels:...
provide specialist knowledge and advice regarding the commercialisation process for Healthcare innovations, such as market researchMarket researchMarket research is any organized effort to gather information about markets or customers. It is a very important component of business strategy...
, business planBusiness planA business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals....
development, funding, forming partnerships etc. NHSIL Business Development Team generally helps inventors choose between two main commercialisation routes: licensing or the creation of a company, often spin outSpin outA spin-out, also known as a spin-off or a starburst, refers to a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" sections of itself as a separate business....
companies for NHS Trusts. There is also a Marketing Manager to cover all areas communications and marketing, including branding, network and award events, and developing promotional material.
Proof-of-concept fund
NHSIL provides a Proof of Concept Fund to help individuals prove their idea or invention can work. The fund provides financial backing and business support for inventors and researchers looking to demonstrate the commercial applications and viability of their technologies and researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
.
Since the launch of the Proof of Concept Fund, over 20 projects from London Trusts have been allocated over £500,000.
Recent Proof of Concept fund allocations have covered the development of projects in the following areas:
- Therapeutic
- Diagnostic
- Medical deviceMedical deviceA medical device is a product which is used for medical purposes in patients, in diagnosis, therapy or surgery . Whereas medicinal products achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means. Medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, thermal,...
- Software
- Assistive technologyAssistive technologyAssistive technology or adaptive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them...
- Hospital equipment
The Proof of Concept Fund is open to all NHS staff with no restriction on the field of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
or invention
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
.
Investors and industry
NHSIL give medical or healthcare companies access to healthcare technologies and devices, developed as a result of specific needs identified in the delivery of frontline healthcare. They work with companies who are interested in licensing, forming spin outSpin out
A spin-out, also known as a spin-off or a starburst, refers to a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" sections of itself as a separate business....
companies or partnering in product design
Product design
-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
, product development, prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, regulatory affairs and distribution.
NHSIL puts its projects through an evaluation process (Xpedite), ensuring that all innovations receive a detailed market assessment, a technical validation and are properly protected.
NHSIL assesses the need for a product by identifying “champions” within the field and asking them to confirm the usefulness and uniqueness of the product - and in some cases perform limited trials. The benefits of this process is twofold: confirmation that the product is of real value and an endorsement from leading clinicians in the field.
NHSIL partners with both SMEs and large commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
organisations to enable the transfer of new innovations from the NHS into healthcare markets on the most favorable terms. They also seek to build long term partnerships with key players in specific markets to increase the efficiency of the commercialisation process and facilitate the development of interactive relationships between clinicians and technology experts.
Funding bodies
NHS Innovations London is sponsored by a number of public organisations, which are as follows.Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
On 28 June 2007, the Department for Innovation, Universities and SkillsDepartment for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a UK government department created on 28 June 2007 to take over some of the functions of the Department of Education and Skills and of the Department of Trade and Industry. In June 2009 it was merged into the newly formed Department for...
(DIUS) was formed to take over some of the functions of the disbanded Department for Education and Skills and Department of Trade and Industry.
NHS Innovations London was formerly funded by the Office of Science and Technology
Office of Science and Technology
The Office of Science and Technology , later named the Office of Science and Innovation, was a non-ministerial government department of the British government between 1992 and 2007....
at the Department of Trade and Industry.
NHS Innovations London (NHSIL) was awarded £ 2.3 million under PSRE2 for the period 2004–2007 and a further £ 1.5 million under PSRE3 for the period 2006–2009 to provide funding to manage innovations and Intellectual property coming from NHS Trusts in London and also to provide Proof-of Concept support to migrate products towards commercialisation.
Department of Health
As part of a national network, the Department of Health (United Kingdom)Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
provides annual funding to NHS Innovations London via the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement is a special health authority of the National Health Service in England. It "supports the NHS to transform healthcare for patients and the public by rapidly developing and spreading new ways of working, new technology and world-class...
for services to NHS Trusts in the London region for the identification, protection and management of innovations and intellectual property that benefit patient health care and result in the generation of revenues for the Trusts
London Development Agency
The London Development AgencyLondon Development Agency
The London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is a functional body of the Greater London Authority...
(LDA) works to build a thriving economy for London's communities and businesses. They support the growth of new and existing businesses and the creation of new jobs by investing more than £300 million a year in London.
The LDA focuses their investment on areas of greatest need and greatest potential, so that all Londoners can gain from and contribute to London's success.
External links
- Official website
- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20060205/ai_n16048024
- http://www.devicelink.com/mdt/archive/06/10/013.html
- http://www.twanetwerk.nl/default.ashx?DocumentId=7097