23 Mar 2021
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25 Mar 2021
Three healthcare companies awarded a share of £140,000 through Health Innovation Manchester Momentum Fund in response to COVID-19
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.
Health Innovation Manchester, the organisation responsible for accelerating proven innovation into Greater Manchester’s health and social care services, selected the winners of the Momentum Fund with the help of a panel of representatives from patients and partners.
The Momentum Fund has been 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’.
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.
“Both Voiceitt and Nudg are at an earlier stage of development and are taking novel digital approaches to address problems of communication for citizens with speech and language communications issues, and preventative measures for type 1 diabetes patients. Woundpad is at a later stage of development and the award will assist in the roll out across Manchester of their digital system for chronic wound care management.
“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.”
During the decision-making process, members of the Health Innovation Manchester Public and Community Involvement and Engagement (PCIE) Panel were consulted in order to give members of the public in Greater Manchester a say in selecting this call’s winning innovations.
Mr Mistry, a family carer in Greater Manchester and member of the Health Innovation Manchester PCIE Panel said: “A unique and invaluable opportunity to be involved in the decision making process for the awarding of seed, pump priming funding for potential innovative health solutions for Greater Manchester, whilst bringing a patient/carer/public perspective to the discussion”.
Russ Cowper, another member of the Health Innovation Manchester PCIE Panel also commented: “We followed a scoring mechanism and discussed each proposal and judged them on their merits using our own personal backgrounds and history as reference points. One of the proposals fell right under my personal experience and I was allowed time and courtesy to explain my thoughts although it was very much a team effort and it was reflected in the scores, as thoughtful points were given due consideration and evaluated without bias or preconception.”
Find out more about the winners:
WoundPad by MDSAS Ltd awarded £42,000.
Nudg by LovedBy Ltd awarded £48,098.
