Rehabilitation Technologies Strategic Innovation Gateway
Medilink Midlands ran its first Strategic Innovation Gateway (SIG) at a hugely successful, well-attended event on 1 May 2024 at Charnwood Campus, focused on Rehabilitation Technologies.
CEO of Medilink Midlands, Melanie Davidson, welcomed everyone to the event and introduced the speakers from Loughborough University, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust to learn ‘What the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) can do for you’, as well as Dr Helen Compton there to outline funding opportunities through the National Institute Health and Care Research.
Having recently received formal Government approval, as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme, for the £105million plans, work is now progressing in earnest to create the 70-bed, purpose-built and highly energy efficient new facility at Stanford Hall near Loughborough. The NRC’s aim is to bring research, innovation, education and training alongside clinical practice to drive excellence in rehabilitation.
The specialist NHS facility is being built on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate, home to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, and will open to patients in 2025.
The aim of this event was to look at potential prospects to build partnerships with a vision to harnessing funding opportunities and open the door to innovators already working in the life sciences and med tech sectors with possible crossover into rehabilitation.
Speakers included:
Miriam Duffy, NRC Programme Director, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust who shared the role of the NRC, its partnerships with Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham.
Miriam reiterated that the ambition of the NRC and its partners is to become a world leading rehabilitation centre of excellence in clinical, training and research providing a national hub with sharing facilities and expertise with colleagues at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.
Miriam Duffy, NRC Director, said: “The NRC will not only serve as a centre for rehabilitation excellence, but also as a symbol of hope for countless individuals and families across the country. We look forward to welcoming patients next year so we can help them start their own journey towards a better future with as much independence as possible.”
Following Miriam, was Wing Commander, Alex Scott, Consultant Rehabilitation Medicine and NRC Interoperability Project Lead. Alex outlined the relationship between, and the evolution of, defense and rehabilitation and the pathways now needed/being taken to achieve the best outcomes. The NRC will be dealing with traumas and musculoskeletal physiotherapy rehabilitation as well as neurological and reintegration needs.
Professor Mark Lewis, Loughborough University’s NRC lead and Dean of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences took to the stage to explain the facilities and work being undertaken at Loughborough University and the role it has to play within the NRC partnership. Mark also outlined ongoing projects such as the NRC-linked applications and awards and how they currently work with external parties, and their plans for future collaborations.
Mark said: “Loughborough University is proud to be a core partner for this state-of-the-art facility. We look forward to using our expert knowledge in research and innovation to help transform treatment and outcomes for patients, and to developing education and training programmes in rehabilitation that are truly world leading.”
Pip Logan, Professor of Rehabilitation Research and Occupational Therapist at the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, outlined the collaboration between academia and business, the opportunities this presents, the programmes currently underway, research and education ambitions, focused training in line with the needs of the NRC, and how innovators can get involved.
Pip comments: “The University of Nottingham’s partnership with the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) represents an essential part of our commitment to uplifting – through our world-leading experience in rehabilitation research and education – the health of the people in our region and across the UK.
“Embedding our training courses in rehabilitation, alongside our research in robotics, physiology, mental health, rehab technology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, rehab medicine and rehab nursing, with patients, families, clinical professionals, and industry is vital for our institution and for developing world-class rehabilitation patient services.”
Dr Jacqueline Hicks, Research Network Manager, EPSRC Network+ in Rehabilitation Technologies at the University of Nottingham followed up with an insight in to the Rehabilitation Technologies Network, the activities they have instigated and the connectivity they provide. With 433 current members across healthcare, academia and industry, its aim is to provide support, advice and stimulation for its ever-growing membership. Dr Hicks also highlighted a number of feasibility projects focused around rehabilitation that the RTN provides grants for, an overview of which can be found in the presenters’ slides (see below).
A Q&A session followed whereby attendees were invited to pose questions to the panel of speakers.
A second session of speakers saw first Dr Helen Compton, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, NIHR, outline the structure and support offered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research for the life sciences sector and the funding opportunities available, followed by Praminda Caleb-Solly, Professor of Embodied Intelligence at the University of Nottingham who talked about working with the NRC to overcome the challenges in the use of rehabilitation technology.
Finally, the attendees were invited to form break-out groups to feedback ideas on how to move forward from embracing and sharing of innovations, to ideas on how to support the industry when looking to do R&I within the NRC and its partners.
Mel Davidson, CEO of Medilink Midlands, said:
“We were delighted with the turnout and the engagement of everyone in the room. It shows that there is an appetite for this kind of event and the opportunity it presents to life sciences and med tech innovators in the region is limitless.”
The Medilink Rehabilitation Technologies SIG event was funded by the EPSRC Rehabilitation Technologies Network +, who work closely with the NRC. The network aims to identify and support the development of new, disruptive technologies for use in rehabilitation. Working close with relevant stakeholders the network aims to ensure that these new technologies can be translated into clinical practice safely and effectively – supporting people to regain their independence post-illness or trauma.