January 2024 Newsletter

Tailored Talks for Long COVID Shortlisted for Digital Health and Care Award

‘Tailored Talks’ for Long COVID is a digital platform being used to support people with Long Covid in an integrated care pathway, in collaboration with Pogo Digital Healthcare, NHS Lothian and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. The pathway is currently being rolled out across Lothian and is the first of its kind to connect the public, private and third sectors. The pathway project has been shortlisted for a Digital Health and Care Award 2024, in the Industry Collaboration category. This is following a win last year at the same event, where the team took home the Technology Enabled Independent Living Award.

Drone sound surveys: final weeks to share your thoughts

It is the final couple of weeks for you to have your say in the Commonplace online survey about drone noise in relation to Project CAELUS. We need your input to help us reduce the risks of noise disturbance from drones providing healthcare services in Scotland. You can choose to complete just one or both surveys about different types of drone noise.

NIHR & OLS Real World Evidence Programme Call

On 31st January, the NIHR i4i Programme, in collaboration with the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), invites applications to the Real World Evidence Programme. The Real World Evidence Programme is being led by OLS as part of the UK Government’s Life Sciences Vision and is backed by £10m of government funding. The aim of the call is to address the evidence gap required for widespread adoption of technologies that have received a recommendation for early use in the NHS from NICE Early Value Assessment (EVA), as well as developing guidance to support innovators to generate quality real world evidence that NICE and commissioners require for adoption and roll-out. An online briefing event for the call will be held 10:30am-12pm on 23rd January 2024. Deadline for applications is 1pm on 27th March 2024.

Regulatory Roadmap points the way ahead for new measures to support safe access to medical technology

The MHRA has set out new plans to protect patient safety and enable access without delay for UK patients to innovative medical technologies including AI and diagnostics. This new ‘roadmap’ for new regulations, from the MHRA will enhance the UK’s ability to benefit from rapidly advancing medical technology, offering significant new opportunities for patients and healthcare. Transformative technologies such as new implantable devices, healthcare AI and software, and diagnostics for early detection and prevention of disease, all demand a new regulatory framework.

Scottish researchers team up with US biotech firm to harness AI for disease treatment

Researchers in Scotland have teamed up with an American biotech firm to harness an AI tool to speed up the design of drugs for certain diseases. University of Edinburgh academics joined together with experts from Neochromosome to use AI in the design and selection of the best-performing enzymes used in therapeutics for the treatment of genetic and autoimmune disorders including diabetes. The research team, involving the University of Edinburgh and Neochromosome – a synthetic DNA and cell engineering company – has developed and tested the tool to find a complex benchmark enzyme in the first instance, with a view to it being used for a range of applications including medical treatment. The project is also supported by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre.

DigiFest23 Resources

The presentation slides and recordings of the DigiFest23 sessions are now available to view on the conference websites on the resources page. You can also view some satellite events recordings on the Satellite Sessions page, and the Poster Showcase will be available to view until September 2024.

Rapid Pitch Open Challenge – Occupational Therapy Digital Assessment & Triage to support community care

There is an opportunity to innovate how Occupational Therapy (OT) services are delivered using digital technology to support and enable new models of community-based care. OT services face several challenges in ‘assessing’ and ‘triaging’ citizens who are experiencing a loss of functional ability – usually due to frailty or disability which is expected to last for more than six months. The DHI are interested in ground breaking ideas, technologies, solutions or approaches that address one or more of the challenge areas outlined on the website. If your organisation has a solution to some or all the challenge areas, please submit a RapidPitch. Submissions should have path to commercialisation. While ideas can be early stage, DHI are not looking for research projects that are not pursuing a viable potential solution.

First in-person Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster event of 2024 at Edinburgh Napier University

DHI are delighted to announce the next in person Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster event will take place in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University and SET 4 from University of Edinburgh. The event will take place Monday 26th February 2024 from 10am – 3:30pm. The aim of the day is to bring respective networks together, to learn what we are doing currently on healthy ageing and how we can work together going forward. The afternoon session will be a workshop led by the Set 4 Team from Edinburgh university looking at the issues with transition points in care. DHI are especially keen to host practitioners from health and care. Come and learn about systems thinking and participate in co – design.

CivTech Round 10 is coming! Become a Challenge Sponsor

Sign up for the Challenge Sponsor drop-in session on 25th January 2024 from 12 – 1pm. Meet with Challenge Managers, chat to previous participants, engage in Q&As, and more. CivTech welcome anyone in the public or third sector to attend this event, whether you are responsible for organisational change or just seeking a fresh creative solution to a Challenge.

Secure your FREE place at Digital Health and Care Scotland 2024

Holyrood’s annual Digital Health and Care Scotland conference is returning to Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 21-22 February 2024. The event will bring together health, social care and housing professionals from across Scotland to look at how innovative digital solutions are being used to help alleviate pressure on the system by improving service delivery and demand management. The annual Digital Health and Care Awards are now closed for entries! Taking place on the night of 21st February 2024, the Awards recognise the achievements of the individuals and teams working in the health, social care, and housing sectors whose innovation and creativity have put Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution.

Secure your FREE place at Public Sector Data Summit 2024

Holyrood Connect’s annual Public Sector Data Summit will return to Edinburgh on 20th March 2024. The use of data in digital technologies within the public sector has skyrocketed in recent years. It is crucial that we understand how to maximise its potential to help us make informed decisions and deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers. Through a variety of session formats, including keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive masterclasses, the event will provide real-life examples of data use within the public sector for you to learn from.

Secure your FREE place at Public Sector Digital Transformation 2024

Holyrood Connect’s 11th annual flagship Digital Transformation event for the Scottish Public Sector will be returning on 11th June 2024, at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The trend of digital transformation shows no sign of slowing as more and more organisations across Scotland shift their systems to digital.

During the event, you will hear from senior government speakers and thought leaders within the public sector to learn about the progress of the Digital Strategy for Scotland. You will also hear engaging discussions surrounding the shifting landscape of public sector organisations and the foundations needed for a successful digital transition.

Futurescot's Cloud, Data & AI - Transforming Public Services Conference 2024

Futurescot’s Cloud, Data & AI – Transforming Public Services Conference, the premier event for public sector officials seeking to revolutionise their services through technology and innovation will take place on 21st March 2024. This conference serves as the pivotal meeting point between government and technology providers, offering invaluable insights into harnessing the potential of cloud, data and AI to modernise public services. Attendees will gain global thought leadership on leveraging these technologies for increased agility, responsiveness, and intelligence in government services. The event also focuses on turning data into a valuable organisational asset, exploring sustainable cloud deployment options, and navigating the ethical and inclusive integration of AI.

Futurescot's Health & Care Transformation Conference 2024

Health & Care Transformation is the essential annual conference taking place on 16th April 2024 which is dedicated to charting the path towards the recovery and rejuvenation of the NHS. This event serves as a nexus for bringing together the ‘triple helix’ of government, industry, and academia to harness the full potential of technology and innovation. By leveraging these tools, the conference aims to alleviate the pressures on the system, shifting from a reactive to a proactive era of care. Key themes include fostering seamless data flow across healthcare sectors, empowering startups within the NHS and social care, and facilitating transformative change.

Latest funding opportunities

Check out the latest health and care funding opportunities from across the sector on the funding section of our website.