August 2024 Newsletter

Live flight trials commence for drones to deliver important medical supplies across South East Scotland

During the month of August, there will be flight trials for drones from NHS Borders to NHS Lothian. These trials are part of Project CAELUS, a national innovation project aiming to test the use of drones as a way of delivering vital medical supplies, including essential medicines, blood, samples, and other crucial healthcare items throughout Scotland. CAELUS will explore how drones could enhance and innovate our current healthcare logistic services in Scotland. Potential advances will go a long way in helping patients in remote, rural, and urban communities as well supporting hospitals with the movement of unplanned and urgent medical supplies. This project also support’s NHS Scotland’s 2022-2026 Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy in achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and becoming an environmentally and socially sustainable service.

Scottish Ambulance Service simulation study as part of Project CAELUS

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has carried out vital research with members of the public to test how drones can be used in cardiac arrests. SAS, a key partner in Project CAELUS, did the study in late July to better understand the feasibility of delivering an Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) via drone technology. It explored the protocols required to support call handlers in navigating bystanders to a drone during simulated scenarios of Out of Hospital Cardiac (OHCA) arrests. During each simulated OHCA scenario, a group of participants were given instructions through telephone compared to another group of participants were given video assisted guidance to retrieve a nearby drone-delivered AED. This study is building on existing research domestically and internationally, to better understand how drones could be used by an Ambulance Service in the future. Watch the video here.

Phase 1 Children and Young People Remote Asthma Challenge complete

We are thrilled to announce that Phase 1 of the Children and Young People Remote Asthma Challenge has successfully concluded.  A 3-month initiative that has showcased the innovative expertise of our two participating companies, RedStar Ltd and QIoT Ltd. Both companies have been working towards the challenge objectives, developing creative solutions, and unlocking exciting opportunities for the NHS. We are currently planning the selection process for a Phase 2 competition, inviting both companies to apply for contracts for prototype development and early clinical evidence to refine their solutions, foster meaningful collaborations, and ultimately deliver tangible benefits to patients and the care they receive. We anticipate that Phase 2 will commence towards the end of 2024. We will provide further updates once the selection process has concluded and we can reveal the Phase 2 competition winners.

Edinburgh researchers develop ‘warmer, more humanistic’ prosthetics at cutting-edge robotics facility

Edinburgh researchers have developed ‘warmer, more humanistic’ prosthetic limbs at a cutting-edge robotics facility. Designers 3-D printed materials for more comfortable, functional, and affordable upper limb prosthetics at Heriot-Watt university’s DeepTech LaunchPad programme. The DeepTech LaunchPad initiative was supported by Barclays Eagle Labs through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Digital Growth Grant and provided organisations with access to tailored business support services, facilities, and equipment within Heriot-Watt and the National Robotarium, the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence based at the University’s Edinburgh campus.

CivTech Round 10 has launched!

Collectively the new set of Challenges aim to use technology to address skills gaps, improve carbon measurement in forestry, monitor seabird populations, enhance firefighter safety, optimise emergency response, reduce pharmaceutical waste, promote a circular economy in healthcare supply chains, streamline data sharing across public organisations, and improve public consultation processes. The value of the Challenges ranges from £650,000 to £1.3m. Additionally, two ‘Wildcard’ Challenges titled ‘AI for Impact’ will be announced. Anyone can apply to CivTech, whether you are an individual, a pre-start business, a start-up, or even an established business. This is your opportunity to tackle a Challenge, solve it, and secure contracts with public sector organisations. Proposals must be submitted via Public Contracts Scotland by midday on 10th September 2024.

Walking the Talk: Innovation in the Public Sector

While technology holds significant promise for revolutionising both the economy and public sector, real-world examples of successful implementation remain rare. The Scottish Government’s CivTech programme stands out as a pioneering force in public sector innovation. As CivTech launches its 10th Cohort in London, techUK is pleased to host an event on 22nd August 2024 exploring the key factors behind the programme’s success.

Join an engaging session where leaders from CivTech and their partner businesses will discuss their innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in the public sector. There will also networking events in the morning and the evening.

SHTG webinar – Evidence Framework: how we asses health technologies

Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) are often asked what sort of evidence is required for a health technology to be given the green light for use in Scotland. To help answer this question, SHTG have shaped an evidence framework to help evaluators, technology developers, and decision makers better understand what information is required to identify technologies of value to patients and the health and care system. SHTG are hosting a webinar 1 – 2pm on Tuesday 10th September 2024 which aims to provide an opportunity to hear from the SHTG team directly about their evidence framework and how we assess health technologies.

Two weeks to go to enter Futurescot AI Challenge

The Futurescot AI Challenge 2024 is a competition to bring together Scottish public sector organisations to solve problems using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This competition is open to all public sector bodies in Scotland, from central and local government to government agencies, NHS, police, and any frontline public service looking to harness AI for the benefit of Scottish citizens. The aim is to help public sector organisations take their first steps in this exciting new world of artificial intelligence, exploring use cases and developing ‘proof of concepts’ for future potential adoption. You have until 23rd August 2024 to submit your entry.

NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Key 2024 Application Dates

Are you an NHS staff member with a flair for innovation and a vision for improving patient care? If you have a great idea but need support bringing it to life, the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) could be for you! This free, 1-year long programme, is open to all NHS staff across the U.K. (both clinical and non-clinical). It provides learning, opportunities and experiences through which entrepreneurs develop the commercial skills to accelerate their innovations, in turn helping to transform patient care, as well as providing them with the entrepreneurial knowledge that will help them in their day jobs.

• Applications open:  8am on 1st October 2024
• Applications close: 6pm on 29th October 2024
• Review and assessment phase: November – December 2024
• Outcome notification: January 2025
• Programme starts: Late February / early March 2025

New partnership between the NHS CEP Programme and the Alzheimer’s Society

A new partnership has been announced between the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) and the Alzheimer’s Society. Together, they are launching a 12-month pilot programme for innovators working on groundbreaking ideas in dementia care this autumn. The Dementia Innovators Programme is open to professionals both within and outside the NHS, including social care and hospice staff, admiral nurses. The programme will open for applications on 1st October 2024, and is open to innovators across the UK. A launch event 4th September 2024 at Tower Suites, London at 5.30pm. If you can’t make it in person, you can still watch the talks via Zoom. Book your place online here. 

Provision of Digital Tools for Smart Housing Sensor Data Collation and Analysis

University of Strathclyde seeks to engage the market regarding an upcoming procurement opportunity for the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). The DHI is seeking to understand the market capabilities for the provision of an Ambient Assisted Living Data Hub. Following needs established in their Smart Housing & Smart Communities living lab, DHI are seeking a centralised data hub (platform) that gathers and analyses sensor data to generate personalised health and wellbeing insights, enhancing ambient assisted living environments and providing analytics capabilities (with the ability to support AI-driven recommendations) to residents and support services

SBRI Women's Health Innovation Funding

The Women’s Health Strategy for England, The Scottish Women’s Health Plan, and the Women’s Health in Wales discovery report outline strong evidence of the need for a greater focus on women’s health, addressing the unique challenges women face across their lifespans, and to recognise and act on inequalities. Under the overall theme of “Women’s Health”, Competition 25 Phase 1 invites early-stage innovations in the following three priority areas:

• Gynaecological Conditions and Hormonal Health
• Mental Health
• Chronic Conditions and Long-term Health.

The competition is open to any innovation (e.g., medical device, in-vitro diagnostic, digital health solutions and AI solutions, behavioural interventions, and service improvements) that meets the entry criteria and the challenges described in the Challenge brief. Phase 1 contracts for technical and commercial feasibility testing are valued at up to £100,000 (NET) and last for six months. If successful, Phase 1 projects are entitled to apply for Phase 2 contracts for prototype development and early clinical evidence which are usually worth up to £800,000 (NET) over 12 months. Applications close at 1pm on 28th August 2024.

Digital Lifelines Scotland Annual Conference 2024

The Digital Lifelines Scotland Third Annual Conference will be held in-person on Tuesday 10th September 2024 at The Surgeons Quarter in Edinburgh. Reserve a ticket today for this free event to join Christina McKelvie, Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy, and other keynote speakers celebrating the achievements of the programme so far and looking to the future of how digital can help reduce drug-related harms in Scotland.

Health Inequalities in Scotland: The State of the Nation

Holyrood’s inaugural Health Inequalities in Scotland: The State of the Nation summit, is taking place at Dynamic Earth on 17th September 2024. The summit is free to attend and will bring together Scotland’s leading public health voices from the public, private and third sectors to share innovation, make connections and explore the practical steps that can be taken to inspire change and turn the tide.

Over the course of the day, sessions will:

• Explore initiatives that have been successful in tackling health inequalities;
• Discuss solutions to specific challenges such as smoking and obesity; and
• Consider the roles that different sectors such can and are playing.

Secure your FREE place at Public Sector Cloud Services, Infrastructure and AI 2024

Holyrood’s annual Cloud conference will return to Dynamic Earth in central Edinburgh on 24th September 2024. The revamped event will delve into Public Sector Cloud Services, Infrastructure and AI, featuring speakers from the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, SCVO, Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, Forestry and Land Scotland, Woxsen University and more!

DigitalScotland 2024 Conference Launch – Registration open!

Registration for DigitalScotland 2024 is officially open which will take place on 26th November 2024, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. DigitalScotland 2024 is the leading forum to hear about how digital and data are transforming the way our public services operate and fulfil their mission to be modern, responsive, and designed around the needs of citizens.

Designed to bring together digital and data professionals from across the public sector, the full-day event is a must-attend and features a fantastic line-up of 50+ speakers, 50+ industry partners and 1,200+ attendees to explore the latest trends, share insights and showcase innovative solutions to the challenges facing Scotland’s citizens.