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NHS tech innovation scheme indicative of merging roles in the provision of health care, says expert


Medical technology providers have been given an opportunity to test innovative forms of health care delivery within the NHS in England in a move one expert said reflects a "blurring of lines between previously fixed roles" in the health sector.

The UK government and NHS England has called on companies to declare their interest in trialling "new technologies, digital services and other innovations" within dedicated NHS 'test beds'. The scheme is aimed at improving health care for patients whilst reducing the cost of that care to the taxpayer.

UK and overseas businesses; voluntary sector organisations, and innovators within the NHS are being encouraged to submit bids to participate in the trials, including companies focused on developing 'internet of things' technologies for health and social care. The application process closes on 29 May.

"This is the future of health care," expert in health regulations Louise Fullwood of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said. "It reflects a blurring of lines between previously fixed roles. The shift is towards patient-focused services and there is less emphasis on the demarcation of responsibilities in the chain of health care provision. As in this case, companies who previously just made and sold drugs or provided equipment now have an opportunity to offer a wider service and take on some tasks previously the preserve of others, such as clinics and hospitals."

Fullwood said the blurring of roles was also evidenced recently by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's proposals to involve pharmacists more in the delivery of treatments and care in GP surgeries.

Life sciences expert Helen Cline of Pinsent Masons said the new test beds initiative could help companies address the issue of uptake which has been an obstacle to the integration of digital health solutions in the NHS previously.

"Although there is a lot of talk out how digital health will lead to a seismic shift in the delivery of health care, the lack of adoption is currently an issue for companies investing in these digital health care solutions," Cline said. "To get these innovations adopted into the care pathway and get paid, companies need to demonstrate their technologies improve outcomes for patients and deliver efficiencies in the provision of health care – in short, cost savings."

Cline said the test beds scheme is effectively a large-scale clinical trial to test products and fine tune them based on the experience of real patients.

"Digital solutions will be the backbone of care models but they will require some rethinking around the current models of evaluation, adoption and reimbursement," Cline said. "There is currently no standardisation for evaluation of these products. In its technical report in October last the London Health Commission recommended the setting up a new Digital Health Institute to lead the way in developing novel methodologies in evaluating digital technologies."

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